LIBRARY  OF  PRINCETON 

SEP  0  4  2008 

THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


BX8955  ,A6  1842  v. 4 
Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
U.S.A.  Board  of  Publication. 
Series  of  tracts  on  the 
doctrines,  order,  and  polity 
of  the 

Presbyterian  church  in  the 
United  States 


A  SERIES 


TRACTS 


DOCTRINES,  ORDER,  AND  POLITY 

yOF  THE 

PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 


UNITED  STATES  OF  AMEEICA 


EMBKACING 


SEVERAL  ON  PRACTICAL  SUBJECTS. 


VOL.  IV. 


PHILADELPHIA : 
PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION. 


Page 


CONTENTS 


FOUETH  VOLUME.     • 

/ 

I.  The  Anglican  Reformation,  or  the  Church  of  England  but 

half  reformed.  -  _  -  .  _  5 

II.  Hi^tatry  of  the  Early  Rise  of  Prelacy,  by  the  Rev.  Samuel 

Miller,  D.D.    -  -  -  -  -  -         71 

III.  Permanent  Sabbath  Documents,  or  a  Plea  for jKe  Sab- 

bath enforced  by  Facts,  by  the  Rev.  Justin  Edwards, 

D.D.    -  -  -  -  -  -  -       117 

IV.  Relative  Influence  of  Presbytery  and  Prelacy,  onjCivil 

and  Ecclesiastical  Liberty,  by  the  Rev.  T.  V.  Moore.       171 

V.  TheZJuty  of  Prayer  for  Ministers,  by  the  Rev.  W.  J. 

McCord.  -  -  -  -  -  ,  -       203 

VI.  A  Plea  for  Presbyterianism,  by  the  Rev.  Robert  t)avid- 

son,  D.D.        -  -  -,  -  -  -       215 

VII.  A  Castaway,  by  the  Rev.  R.  M.  McCheyne.    ^-'  -      251 

VIII.  Systematic  Benevolence,  by  the  Rev.  D.  V.  femock.  259 

IX.  The  Work  of  theHoly  Spirit,  on  the  Hearts  of  Men,  by 

the  Rev.  J.  S.  Armistead.       -  -  -  .       275 

X.  The  Exclusive  Claims  of  Prelacy  stated  and  refuted,  by 

the  Rev.  B.M.Smith.  -  -  -  -       291 

XI.  Inattention  to  Religion  Wonderful,  by  the  Rev.  W.  J. 

McCprd.  .--_.„       327 

XII.  The  Gospel  Call,  or  Look  and  be  Saved.  -  -      339 

XIII.  Wh^Lt  is  Faith  1 — A  letter  to  a  friend.  -  -      347 

XIV.  A^efuge  from  the  Storm.  _    -  -  -  -      351 


(3) 


THE 


ANGLICAN   REFORMATION: 


OR 


THE  CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND 


BUT 


HALF  REFORMED 


ORIGINALLY  PUBLISHED  IN    THE  EDINBURGH  PRESBYTERIAN  REVIEW, 
JANUARY,  1843. 


PHILADELPHIA : 
PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION. 


THE 


ANGLICAN  REFORMATION 


The  origin  of  Puritan  nonconformity,'*  its  ample  warrant, 
and  complete  justification,  will  be  found  in  the  character 
and  proceedings  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  the  principles  on  which 
the  Anglican  Church  was  at  first  based,  and  the  means  by 
which  it  was  finally  established. 

Elizabeth  was  one  of  those  persons  whose  character  it  is 
difficult  to  portray,  because  it  consisted  of  elements  appa- 
rently irreconcilable.  She  possessed  the  peculiar  character- 
istics of  both  sexes  in  almost  equal  proportions.  She  had 
all  the  masculine  energy  and  enlarged  capacity  of  a  strono-- 
minded  man,  with  all  the  caprice,  vanity,  and  obstinacy  of 
a  weak-minded  woman ;  while  the  circumstances  in  which 
she  was  placed  had  a  direct  tendency  to  develope  and  mature 
all  the  elements  of  her  character.  She  was  suspicious  by 
nature,  by  education,  and  by  necessity,  and  despotic  by 
temperament,  by  habit,  and  by  policy.  Thoroughly  and 
intensely  selfish,  she  made  all  the  means  within  her  reach 
minister  to  her  own  interests ;  utterly  insensible  to  the 
miseries  she  might  occasion  to  the  instruments  of  her  will, 
or  the  objects  of  her  policy  ."I"     Impatient  of  contradiction, 

*  Puritans  and  nonconformists  were,  at  first,  the  common  titles 
of  those  who  were  subsequently  called  Presbyterians,  while 
Brownites,  sectaries,  and  separatists,  were  the  ordinary  appella- 
tions of  those  who  are  now  called  Independents.  See  Pierce's 
Vindication  of  the  Dissenters,  pp.  147,  189,  205,  206,  213,  215, 
223.  Hanbury's  Eccl.  Memorials  of  Independents,  i.  3,  5,  et 
passim. 

f  "  My  good  old  mistress,"  says  Sir  Francis   Bacon  to  King 

James,  in  1612,  "was  wont  to  call  me  her  watch  candle,  because 

it  pleased  her  to  say  I  did  continually  burn ;  and  yet  she  suffered 

me  to  waste  almost  to  nothing."     (Wordsworth  Eccl.  Biog.  iv. 

3  7 


4  THE   ANGLICAN    REFORMATION, 

not  less  from  the  strong  than  the  weak  points  of  her  char- 
acter, she  quelled,  with  equal  imperiousness,  all  opposition 
to  her  will,  and  crushed  a  refractory  spirit  in  prelates,  par- 
liaments, and  privy  council,  in  Puritans,  Papists,  and 
populace,  with  as  iron  a  rigour  as  was  ever  displayed  by 
Henry  VIII. 

It  was  only  by  the  favourable  circumstances  in  which 
she  was  placed,  and  by  the  dexterity  with  which  she  regu- 
lated her  personal  deportment,  as  well  as  her  general  policy, 
that  such  a  character,  which  could  conciliate  no  love, 
enkindle  no  gratitude,  and  excite  no  sympathy,  could 
inspire  those  feelings  of  national  homage  of  which  we  know 
she  was  the  object.  Her  life,  to  many  of  her  Protestant 
subjects,  appeared  the  only  barrier  against  the  return  of 
Popery  and  persecution ;  and  therefore,  for  their  own  pr6- 
tection,  they  not  only  tolerated  the  strong  measures  of  her 
government,  but  admired  her  prudence,  and  promoted  her 
plans.  Parsimonious  to  an  extreme  in  granting  salaries 
or  pensions  to  her  servants  from  the  royal  treasures,  she 
was  munificent  in  rewarding,  if  not  her  ministers,  at  least 
her  minions,  by  donations  from  the  estates  of  the  Church ; 
and  thus  she  secured  the  applause  of  those — and  they  are 
always  a  numerous  party — who  look  more  to  the  value 
of  the  gift,  than  the  legitimacy  of  the  source  whence  it  is 
drawn.  Theatrical,  yet  imposing,  in  her  carriage ;  mag- 
nificent, though  coarse  in  her  tastes ;  thoroughly  English 
in  her  feelings,  and  successful  in  her  enterprises,  she  won 
and  retained  the  admiration  of  those  (always  the  mass  in 
every  nation)  who  are  impressed  only  through  their  senses, 
judge  merely  by  results,  and  admire  power  and  splendour, 
without  looking  too  curiously  into  the  source  whence 
the  one  is  derived,  or  the  objects  to  which  the  other  is 
directed.  It  was  part  of  her  policy  not  to  demand  taxes 
from  her  parliaments,  lest  they  might  attempt  to  canvass 
her  measures,  and  control  her  proceedings  ;*  while  from 
the   very    same   policy   she    directed   the   most    judicious 

70,  n.)  She  kept  Sir  Francis  Walsingham  at  Paris,  because  she 
found  him  serviceable  to  her  purposes,  till  his  health  was  com- 
pletely shattered,  and  his  fortune  utterly  impoverished  ;  nor  could 
all  his  petitions  and  representations  to  herself  and  her  council, 
obtain  either  an  accession  to  his  income,  a  respite  to  his  labours, 
or  a  recall  from  his  embassy.  See  Strype's  Annals,  iii.  pp.  339, 
340. 

*  Bishop  Short's  Sketch  of  the  History  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land. 2d  edit.  Sect.  439,  467. 
8 


THE   ANGLICAN   REFORMATION.  O 

efforts  to  enlarge  the  wealth  and  prosperity  of  the  kingdom ; 
and  all  this  had,  of  course,  the  very  strongest  tendency  to 
increase  her  general  popularity.  It  must  have  been  from 
sources  such  as  these  that  so  much  of  admiration  was 
lavished  upon  one  who  never  uttered  one  amiable  sentiment, 
and  never  performed  one  generous  deed. 

It  is  not  less  difficult  to  estimate  Elizabeth's  religious 
character,  than  to  do  justice  to  her  personal  and  political 
life.  During  her  sister's  reign,  she  regularly  attended  con- 
fession and  mass,  and  conformed  to  all  the  ritual  observ- 
ances of  Popery.*  Nor  was  this  merely  from  policy,  or 
from'  a  desire  to  escape  persecution  from  that  ferocious 
bigot,  who  was  well  known  to  cherish  no  sisterly  regard 
towards  her;  for  after  her  accession  to  the  throne,  she 
continued  to  pray  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  and,  as  we  shall 
see,  maintained  many  of  the  peculiar  doctrines  of  Roman- 
ism. She  believed  in  the  real  presence,  which,  as  then 
understood,  was  synonymous  with  transubstantiation,f 
publicly  censured  a  preacher,  who  preached  against  it  in 
her  presence,  and  praised  another  who  preached  in  its 
favour.  The  people,  in  the  sudden  ebullition  of  their  joy, 
at  what  they  conceived  the  downfall  of  Romanism,  pulled 
down  the  rood  lofts,  broke  in  pieces  altars  and  images, 
and  burnt  up  the  pictures  and  crucifixes,  which,  in  the 
days  of  their  ignorance,  they  had  worshipped.:]:  Elizabeth, 
however,  indignant  at  such  sacrilege,  ordered  these  appen- 
dages of  idolatry  to  be  restored ;  and  it  was  only  after  the 
most  strenuous  exertions  of  her  prelates  and  counsellors, 
she  could   be  induced  to  yield  to  their  removal. §      But 


»  Strype's  Annals,  i.  2.  f  Ibid.  2,  3.  ^  Ibid.  260-2. 

§  Ibid.  237,  241.  There  is  a  singular  letter  from  Jewell  to 
Peter  Martyr,  (Burnet's  Hist.  Ref.  Records,  Bk.  vi.  No.  60,)  dated 
4th  Feb.  1560,  beginning,  "  O  my  father,  what  shall  I  write  thee  1" 
in  which  he  says,  "That  controversy  about  crosses  (in  Churches) 
is  now  hot  amongst  us.  You  can  scarcely  believe  in  so  silly  a 
matter,  how  men,  who  seemed  rational,  play  the  fool.  Of  these 
the  only  one  you  know  is  Cox.  To-morrow  a  disputation  is 
appointed  to  take  place  upon  this  matter.  Some  members  of  par- 
liament are  chosen  arbitrators.  The  disputants  are,  in  favour  of 
crosses,  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  (Parker)  and  Cox;  against 
them  Grindal  (Bishop  of  London)  and  myself.  The  result  lies  at 
the  mercy  of  our  judges.  However,  I  laugh  when  I  think  with 
what,  and  how  grave  and  solid  arguments  they  shall  defend  their 
paltry  crosses.  I  shall  write  you  the  result,  however  it  may  go. 
At  present  the  cause  is  in  dependence.  However,  so  far  as  I  can 
divine,  this  is  the  last  letter  you  shall  receive  from  me  as  a  bishop, 
1*  9 


6  THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION. 

although  she  gave  a  reluctant  assent  to  have  them  removed 
from  the  churches,  she  still  retained  a  crucifix,  with  tapers 
burning  before  it,  upon  the  altar  in  her  own  private  chapel. 
Against  this  open  idolatry,  all  her  prelates,  not  even  Cox 
excepted,  remonstrated  in  a  style  of  very  unusual  vehe- 
mence ;  and  in  terms  the  most  obsequious,  yet  firm,  they 
begged  leave  to  decline  officiating  in  her  majesty's  chapel 
until  the  abomination  was  removed.  For  the  moment  she 
seems  to  have  given  way  to  the  storm.  But  she  soon 
recovered  her  obstinate  determination  in  favour  of  her  cru- 
cifix and  lighted  tapers, — restored  them  to  their  former 
place  upon  the  altar,*  and  there  they  remained  at  least  as 
late  as  1572."|*  Nor  were  these  badges  of  idolatry  retained 
merely  as  ornaments.  Strype  informs  us  distinctly,  that 
"  she  and  her  nobles  used  to  give  honour  to  them.":}:  Nor 
could  it  be  any  ambiguous  manifestation  of  popery  and 
idolatry,  which  could  extract  from  Cox  that  long  and  urgent 
declinature  to  officiate  in  her  chapel,  in  which  he  says,  "  I 
most  humbly  sue  unto  your  godly  zeal,  prostrate  and  with ' 
wet  eyes,  that  ye  will  vouchsafe  to  peruse  the  considera- 
tions which  move  me,  that  I  dare  not  minister  in  your 
grace's  chapel,  the  lights  and  cross  remaining.^ 

But  although  Elizabeth  was  thus  obstinate  in  favour  of 
these  "  dregs  of  Popery,"  and  "  relics  of  the  Amorities,"  as 
Jewell  termed  them,  she  had  not  even  the  semblance  of  per- 
sonal religion.  Those  members  of  the  Church  of  England 
who  are  favourable  to  Protestantism,  and  yet  feel  that  their 
Church  is  identified  with  the  Church  of  EUzabeth,  may,  as 
a  matter  of  course,  be  expected  to  portray  her  both  as  Pro- 


for  the  matter  is  come  to  that  pass,  that  we  must  either  take  back 
those  crosses  of  silver  and  pewter,  which  we  have  broken,  or 
resign  our  bishopricks." 

*  In  1570.     Slrype's  Parker,  ii.  35,  36. 

j-  Strype,  speaking  of  the  year  1565,  says,  "The  queen  still,  to 
this  year,  kept  the  crucifix  in  her  chapel."  Annals,  i.  ii.  198. 
Again,  "  I  find  the  queen's  chapel  stood  in  statu  quo  seven  years 
after."  Ihid.  200.  Cartwright  also  mentions  the  fact  in  his  "Ad- 
monition to  Parliament,"  published  in  1570.  Parker  exerted  him- 
self strenuously,  but  in  vain,  against  this  nuisance.  Strype's 
Parker,  i.  92.  The  encouragement  which  this  attachment  of  the 
queen  to  some  of  the  grossest  errors  of  their  system  gave  the 
papists,  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact,  that  a  popish  prie'st,  in 
1564,  dedicated  to  her  a  work  in  defence  of  the  crucifix  being 
retained  and  worshipped  as  before.    See  Strype's  An.  i.  260-3. 

t  Strype's  An.  i.  259,  260. 

§  Strype's  An.  i.  260,  and  Ap.  Rec.  No.  22. 
10 


THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION.  7 

testant  and  pious ;  and  this  has  been  done  to  an  extent 
which,  in  our  mind,  has  rendered  every  history  of  Eliza- 
beth, by  members  of  the  Anglican  Church,  altogether 
unworthy  of  credit,  except  simply  when  they  state  facts, 
and  give  their  authority  for  them.  Even  Strype,  so  favour- 
ably distinguished  for  veracity  and  candour,  exerts  himself 
to  write  a  panegyric  on  Elizabeth,  although  the  facts  which 
he  is  too  honest  to  conceal,  jar  oddly  enough  with  his 
praises ;  and  although  also,  occasional  expressions  drop 
unguardedly  from  his  pen,  which  show  how  dissatisfied  he 
was  with  the  personal  character  and  religion  of  that  queen. 

"  And,  indeed,"  he  says,  speaking  of  her  religious  char- 
acter at  her  accession,  "  what  to  think  of  the  queen  at  this 
time  as  to  her  religion,  one  might  hesitate  somewhat."  * 
She  seldom  or  never  attended  Church  except  during  Lent, 
(which  she  observed,  and  compelled  others  to  observe,  with 
all  the  formality  of  Rome,)  when  the  best  pulpit  orators 
from  all  parts  of  England  were  summoned  up  to  preach 
before  her.t  She,  indeed,  held  the  preaching  of  the  gospel 
not  only  in  contempt,  but  in  something  bordering  upon  de- 
testation, and  wished  that  all  her  subjects  should  follow  her 
own  example  in  absenting  themselves  from  hearing  sermons. 
While  nine  parishes  out  of  every  ten  throughout  the  king- 
dom were  destitute  of  a  preaching  ministry,  she  commanded 
Grindal,  in  1576,  to  diminish  still  further  the  number  of 
preachers,  declaring  that  three  or  four  were  sufficient  for  a 
whole  county — that  preaching  did  more  harm  than  good, 
and  that,  consequently,  *.'  it  was  good  for  the  Church  to  have 
few  preachers.":}:  And  because  he  would  not  obey,  sup- 
press "  the  prophesyings,"  and  lessen  the  number  of  preach- 
ers, she  suspended  him  from  his  functions,  sequestered  his 
revenues,  and  confined  him  a  prisoner  to  his  own  house, 
and  it  was  with  some  difficulty  she  was  restrained  from 
proceeding  further  against  him,  Grindal's  firmness,  how- 
ever, under  God,  saved  England ;  for  had  he  yielded  to  her 
anti-christian  tyranny,  it  is  easy  to  perceive  what  the  result 
must  have  been  upon  the  moral  and  spiritual  condition  of 
the  kingdom. 

Nor  were  her  morals  more  eminent  than  her  piety.  With- 
out giving  more  attention  than  they  deserve  to  the  scandal- 
ous revelations  of  Lingard,  or  to  the  rumours  which  have 

*  Annals,  i.  2.  f  Strype's  Parker,  i.  401. 

+  Strype's  Grindal,  pp.  328,  329,  and  Appendix  B.  ii.  No.  9, 
which  we  recommend  to  our  readers  to  read  throughout. 

11 


8  THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION. 

descended  to  our  own  time  in  secret  memoirs,  in  MSS.,  and 
by  traditions,  it  is  impossible  to  question  that  the  "  virgin 
queen"  hardly  deserved  the  epithet  of  which  she  was  so 
ambitious.*  She  indulged  freely  in  the  pleasures  of  the 
table.  During  her  annual  "  progresses,"  her  prelates  and 
nobles,  aware  of  her  taste  for  magnificent  entertainments, 
rivalled  one  another  in  ministering  to  her  gratification. 
After  her  return  from  these  more  than  oriental  /eres,  she 
was  generally  indisposed,  nature  exacting  her  usual  tribute, 
not  less  from  the  queen,  than  from  more  plebeian  gour- 
mands.+  She  swore  most  profanely,  not  only  in  her  con- 
versation, but  also  in  her  letters,  and  that  not  only  to  her 
profane  men,  but  even  to  her  prelates. | 

As  Elizabeth  did  not  often  attend  church,  she  had  the 
more  time  to  desecrate  the  Sabbath ;  and  while  the  Puritans 
were  persecuted  for  not  honouring  saints'  days,  she,  her 
nobles  and  her  prelates,  profaned  the  day  of  the  Lord.  In 
one  of  her  "  progresses,"  in  1575,  she  spent  three  weeks  at 

*  Leicester,  in  a  private  letter  to  Walsingham,  while  ambassa- 
dor at  Paris,  speaking  of  a  mysterious  illness,  by  which  she  was 
suddenly  seized,  says,  "  That,  indeed,  she  had  been  troubled  with 
a  spice  or  show  of  the  mother.^*  And  although  he  says  that,  "  in- 
deed, it  was  not  so,"  he  was  too  good  a  courtier,  as  welf  as  too 
personally  implicated,  to  be  a  trustworthy  witness.  Strype's  An. 
iii.  319. 

f  Thus,  in  1571,  after  her  return  from  one  of  these  "  progresses," 
"  she  was  taken  suddenly  sick  at  her  stomach,  and  as  suddenly 
relieved  by  a  vomit."     Strype's  An.  iii.  175. 

i:  Sir  John  Harrington,  giving  a  description  of  an  interview  he 
had  with  her  in  1601,  a  year  or  two  before  her  death,  says,  "She 
swears  much  at  those  that  cause  her  griefs  in  such  wise,  to  the 
nr^^^mall  discomfiture  of  all  about  her."  Nugae  Antiquae,  i.  319. 
We  owe  the  following  anecdote  to  the  same  amusing  gossip.  Cox 
of  Ely  having  refused  to  alienate  some  of  the  best  houses  and 
manors  of  his  see  to  some  of  her  courtiers,  notwithstanding  of  a 
personal  command  from  the  queen,  received  from  the  indignant 
Elizabeth  the  following  characteristic  epistle.  "  Proud  prelate, 
you  know  what  you  were  before  I  made  you  what  you  are  ;  if  you 
do  not  immediately  comply  with  my  request,  by  G — d,  I  will  un- 
frock you.  Elizabeth."  However  ludicrous  to  us,  such  a  man- 
date must  have  been  anything  but  laughable  to  the  poor  bishop  of 
Ely.  With  a  pertinacity,  however,  which  would  have  been  sub- 
lime, had  it  been  displayed  in  a  better  cause.  Cox  preserved  to 
the  last  the  revenues  of  his  see.  After  his  death,  however,  Eliza- 
beth was  revenged.  She  kept  the  diocese  vacant  for  eighteen 
years,  (as  she  kept  Oxford  for  twenty-two  years,)  and  before  a 
succession  was  appointed,  she  stripped  it  so  bare,  that  from  hav- 
ing been  one  of  the  richest,  it  is  now  one  of  the  poorest  dioceses 
in  England. 
12 


THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION.  9 

Kenilworth,  one  of  the  seats  of  her  favourite,  the  Earl  of 
Leicester.  A  contemporary  chronicler  gives  the  following 
account  of  the  manner  in  which  two  of  the  Sabbaths  spent 
there  were  desecrated.  In  the  forenoon  she  went  to  the 
parish  church.  But  "  the  afternoon"  was  spent  "  in  excel- 
lent music  of  sundry  sweet  instruments,  and  in  dancing  of 
lords  and  ladies,  and  other  worshipful  degrees,  with  lively 
agility  and  commendable  grace.  At  night,  late  after  a  warn- 
ing or  two,"  such  as  Jupiter's  respects  to  the  queen  and 
other  heathen  masques  and  mummeries,  there  "  were  blazes 
of  burning  darts  flying  to  and  fro,  beams  of  stars,  coruscant 
streams,  and  hail  of  fiery  sparks,  lightning  of  wild-fire,  in 
water  and  land,  flight  and  shot  of  thunder-bolts — all  with 
continuance,  terror  and  vehemence,  as  though  the  heavens 
thundered,  the  water  scourged,  and  the  earth  shook.  This 
lasted  till  after  midnight."  Next  Sabbath  the  same  scene 
was  repeated  with  sundry  alterations.  But,  in  addition, 
"  this,  by  the  kalendar,"  being  "  St.  Kenelme's  day,"  the 
genius  or  tutelary  god  of  the  place,  there  "  was  a  solemn 
country  bridal,  with  running  at  quintal,  in  honour  of  this 
Kenilworth  Castle,  and  of  God  and  St.  Kenelme  !"*  When 
we  bear  in  mind  the  manner  in  which  the  Sabbath  has  been 
desecrated  in  England  down  from  the  Reformation,  by 
princes,  peers,  and  prelates,  by  the  "  Book  of  Sports,"  by  acts 
of  parliament  and  convocation,  and  that  the  only  friends 

*  Apud  Strype's  An.  ii.  i.  584,  585.  It  may  be  said  in  palliation 
of  Elizabeth's  desecration  of  the  Sabbath,  tiiat  she  only  followed 
the  example  set  before  her  by  the  primate  of  all  England.  Parker 
having  finished  a  princely  dining  hall  in  his  palace  at  Canterbury, 
in  1565,  gave  several  magnificent  entertainments  there.  "  The 
first,"  says  his  biographer,  "  was  at  Whitsuntide,  and  lasted  three 
days,  that  is,  Sunday,  Monday,  and  Tuesday."  ..."  His  second 
feast  was  on  Trinity  Sunday,  following.  .  .  .  The  hall  Avas  set 
forth  with  much  plate  of  silver  and  gold,  adorned  with  rich  tapes- 
try of  Flanders.  .  .  .  There  were  dainties  of  all  sorts,  both  meals 
and  drinks,  and  in  great  plenty,  and  all  things  served  in  excellent 
order  by  none  but  the  archbishop's  servants."  Strype's  Parker, 
i.  876 — 380.  It  was  Parker's  ambition  upon  these  occasions  to 
rival  the  fetes  given  by  his  predecessor  Warham  to  the  Emperor 
Charles  V.  and  Henry  VIII.,  and  that  such  important  matters 
might  not  be  lost  to  posterity,  he  became  their  historian  himself. 
Ihid.  ii.  296,  297.  Even  when  he  retired  to  his  smallest  country 
residence,  Parker's  domestic  establishment  consisted  of  about  a 
hundred  retainers.  Ibid.  i.  277.  Parker,  however,  was  complete- 
ly outshone  by  Whitgift,  who  rivalled  Wolsey  himself.  See  his 
Life  by  "Sir  George  Paule,  comptroller  of  his  Grace's  household," 
in  Wordsworth's  Ecclesiastical  Biography,  iv.  387 — 38^. 
B  13 


10  THE   ANGLICAN    REFORMATION. 

of  Sabbath  observance  have  been  the  persecuted  Puritans, 
the  wonder  is,  not  that  it  should  be  so  grievously  desecrated, 
but  that  any  veneration  whatever  should  continue  to  be  paid 
to  it. 

Among  the  manifold  forms  in  which  the  queen's  attach- 
ment to  the  "  relics  of  Popery"  displayed  itself,  few  were  so 
offensive  to  the  clergy  as  her  countenance  of  clerical  celi- 
bacy and  her  opposition  to  the  marriage  of  the  priesthood. 
In  her  first  parliament,  an  attempt  was  made  to  pass  an  act 
to  legalize  the  marriage  of  the  clergy,  as  had  been  done  in 
the  reign  of  her  brother,  but  she  would  not  permit  it.* 
Various  efforts  were  made  by  Cecil,  Parker  (who  was 
married  himself)  and  others,  to  induce  her,  at  subsequent 
periods,  to  yield ;  but  their  attempts  only  exasperated  the 
vestal  queen.  In  1561,  she  issued  an  injunction  forbidding 
married  clergymen  from  living  with  their  wives  within  the 
precincts  of  colleges  or  cathedral  closes,  and  but  for  the 
importunity  of  Cecil,  she  would  have  absolutely  forbidden 
the  marriage  of  the  clergy.  When  Parker  shortly  after- 
wards waited  upon  her,  she  scolded  him  with  much  "  bitter- 
ness," and  spoke  in  such  terms  not  only  against  clerical 
matrimony,  but  the  whole  constitution  of  the  Church  of 
England,  and  threw  out  such  hints  of  what  it  was  her  in- 
tention to  do,  to  remedy  the  evils  she  complained  of,  that, 
as  he  wrote  to  Cecil,  he  expected  nothing  short  of  an  abso- 
lute order  to  restore  things  to  the  condition  in  which  they 
stood  in  the  reign  of  her  sister,  or,  at  all  events,  that  she 
would  restore  so  much  of  popery  that  he  could  not  conform 
to  the  Church. I  When  she  cooled,  however,  and  saw  that 
Protestantism  was  the  only  tenure  by  which  she  held  her 
crown,  she  relented  so  far  as  not  to  compel  a  return  to 
popery,  but  she  issued  orders  imposing  conditions  upon  the 
marriage  of  the  priesthood,  which  he  must  have  been  not 
only  uxorious  indeed,  but  degraded  in  taste  and  spirit,  who 
could  comply  with.:j:  Never  could  she  be  got  to  give  any 
thing  more  than  a  tacit  connivance  to  clerical  matrimony, 
while  ever  and  anon  she  poured  her  contempt  upon  both 
the  married  clergy  and  their  wives.  That  amusing  gossip. 
Sir  John  Harrington,  gives  the  following  ludicrous  instance 
of  her  treatment  even  of  the  primate's  lady.  Parker  had 
given  Elizabeth  one  of  his  sumptuous  banquets  at  Lambeth. 

*  Strype's  An.  i.  118.  f  Strype's  Parker,  i.  213—217. 

1:  See  the  injunctions  in   Bishop  Sparrow's  Collections,  65,  or 
in  Dr.  Cardwell's  Documentary  Annals  of  the  Church  of  England, 
i.  No  43.  pp.  178—209. 
14 


THE  ANGLICAN  REFORMATION.  11 

As  the  queen  was  retiring,  she  thus  pubhcly  addressed 
Mrs.  Parker  :  "  Madam" — (the  usual  title  of  married  ladies) 
— "  Madam  I  may  not  call  you,  Mistress,"  (the  ordinary 
title  of  unmarried  ladies)  "I  am  loath  to  call  you,  but, 
however,  I  thank  you  for  your  good  cheer."  In  1594,  she 
banished  Bishop  Fletcher,  lately  translated  from  Worcester 
to  London,  from  her  court,  for  having  married  "  a  fine 
lady,"  (sister  to  Sir  George  GifFord,  one  of  her  gentlemen 
pensioners,)  which  she  said  "  was  a  very  indecent  act  for 
an  elderly  clergyman."  Nor  did  her  wrath  end  here.  She 
commanded  Whitgifl  to  suspend  him,  and  it  was  with  con- 
siderable exertions  on  the  part  of  Cecil  that  at  the  end  of 
six  months  the  suspension  was  removed.  Still  she  would 
not  suffer  him  for  a  twelvemonth  afterward  to  appear  in  her 
presence.  The  poor  court  chaplain,  who  had  hitherto 
basked  in  the  sunshine  of  her  smiles,  pined  away  under  her 
frowns,  and  died  shortly  afterwards  of  a  broken  heart, — a 
warning  to  all  "  elderly  clergymen"  not  to  be  guilty  of  such 
*'  indecent  acts"  in  future.*  VVe  shall  show  in  the  sequel 
that  if  Elizabeth  had  had  any  regard  to  the  morals  of  the 
clergy,  (which  she  had  not,)  she  ought  rather  to  have  pass- 
ed a  la\v  compelling  them  to  marry,  nor  would  it  have  mili- 
tated against  good  morals  had  she  set  them  the  example. 

Such  having  been  Elizabeth's  feelings  against  Protestant- 
ism and  in  favour  of  Popery,  it  must  be  matter  of  great  sur- 
prise to  ordinary  readers  that  she  should  ever  have  become 
a  Protestant  at  all.  And,  indeed,  we  are  thoroughly  per- 
suaded that  if  she  had  not  been  necessitated,  both  by  her 
personal  and  political  position,  to  promote  the  reformed  in- 
terest, she  would  have  remained  herself,  and  kept  the  king- 
dom too,  in  communion  with  the  Church  of  Rome.  Religion 
with  Elizabeth  was,  all  her  life,  a  mere  political  engine. 
While  she  persecuted  in  her  own  kingdom  all  who  opposed 
her  ecclesiastical  views,  she  aided  by  counsels,  men,  and 
money,  the  Protestants  of  Scotland,  France,  Geneva,  and 
the  Netherlands,  who  opposed  the  ecclesiastical  supremacy 
of  their  civil  governors.  The  court  of  Rome  had  declared 
her  father's  marriage  with  her  mother  invalid,  and  herself 
consequently  illegitimate,  and  incapable  of  inheriting  the 
throne  of  England.  On  her  accession,  she  despatched  a 
notification  of  that  event  to  Rome, 'and  resolved  in  the  mean- 
while to  do  nothing  in  favour  of  the  Reformation,  lest  she 
might  alienate  the  Vatican.     The  pontiff,  however,  ignorant 

*  See  the  whole  account  in  Strype's  Whitgift,  ii.  a  15— 218. 

15 


12  THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION. 

equally  of  his  oAvn  impotency,  and  of  the  imperiousness  of 
her  whom  he  addressed,  sent  her  back  a  haughty  and  arro- 
gant answer,  declared  her  illegitimate,  commanded  her  to 
abandon  the  throne  she  had  usurped,  and  resign  herself  en- 
tirely to  the  will  of  the  holy  see  of  which  England  was  but 
a  fief.  Such  language  Elizabeth  could  little  brook  even  from 
the  assumed  vicar  of  Christ.  Had  the  energetic  but  wily 
and  insinuating  Sixtus  V.  then  occupied  the  chair  of  Peter, 
from  his  avov/ed  regard  for  the  congenial  character  of  Eliza- 
beth, and  from  other  politic  considerations,  the  answer  would 
assuredly  have  been  different,  and  the  result  would  as  assu- 
redly have  been  different  also.  Or  had  Elizabeth  been  a 
weak-minded  Papist,  as  she  was  a  strong-minded  one,  she 
might  have  been  terrified  into  compliance,  and  Mary  of  Scot- 
land would  have  ascended  the  throne  of  England  in  her  own 
person  instead  of  that  of  her  son.  But  God  made  the  wrath 
of  men  to  praise  him,  and  human  infirmities  and  folly  to 
magnify  his  own  wisdom  and  might.  Elizabeth's  courage 
could  as  little  falter  at  the  spiritual  thunders  of  the  Vatican 
as  at  the  more  formidable  artillery  of  the  Armada  of  Spain. 
She  therefore  at  once  determined  to  declare  open  war  with 
the  Papacy,  and  to  construct  the  Church  of  England  after  a 
model  which,  without  banishing  Popery  in  the  splendour  of 
its  ornaments,  the  magnificence  of  its  ritual,  the  mysticism 
of  its  sacraments,  or  the  scholasticism  of  its  dogmas,  should 
be  found  more  subservient  to  her  own  will,  and  more  con- 
ducive to  her  personal  aggrandizement,  than  if  it  held  of 
Rome.  She  resolved  to  unite  the  'pontificate  with  the  regale 
in  her  own  person,  to  incorporate  the  triple-storied  tiara 
with  the  imperial  diadem,  and  grasp  the  keys  of  Peter  with 
the  same  hand  which  wielded  the  sword  of  Alfred.  In  one 
word,  she  determined  to  become  to  the  Church  of  England 
what  the  Pope  was  to  the  Church  of  Rome  ;  and  she  carried 
her  determination  into  execution. 

Elizabeth  left  neither  her  prelates  nor  her  privy  council 
at  any  loss  to  divine  her  intentions.  She  told  Parker  at  the 
interview,  at  which,  as  already  narrated,  she  had  denounced 
the  marriage  of  the  clergy,  that  she  meant  to  issue  out  in- 
junctions in  favour  of  Popery.*  Had  she  been  so  disposed, 
the  act  of  supremacy,  to  which  we  shall  immediately  allude, 
placed  the  entire  constitutional  power  so  to  do  in  her  hands. 
Political  considerations,  however,  dissuaded  her  from  seek- 
ing reconciliation  with  Rome.     She  valued  her  ecclesiastical 

*  Strype's  Parker,  i.  217,  218. 
16 


THE  ANGLICAN  REFORMATION.  13 

supremacy  at  the  very  least  as  highly  as  her  civil  auto- 
cracy ;  and  as  a  reconciliation  with  Rome  could  be  pur- 
chased only  by  the  surrender  of  the  former,  and  most  prob- 
ably also  of  the  latter,  Elizabeth  remained  satisfied  with  the 
power  to  render  the  national  religion  Popish  in  every  thing 
but  a  submission  to  the  universal  supremacy  of  the  Pope. 
Parker,  whose  conscience  was  sufficiently  elastic  to  enable 
him  to  remain  in  England  during  the  reign  of  Mary,  and 
whose  nerves  were  not  easily  shaken,  was  in  a  "horror" 
at  the  determined  manner  in  which  she  told  him  she  was 
resolved  to  restore  Popery ;  and  he  anticipated  nothing  else 
than  that  he  should  be  one  of  the  first  victims  of  a  new 
Popish  persecution.*  Even  Cox,  who,  next  to  Cheney  of 
Gloucester,  was  the  most  papistical  of  Elizabeth's  first 
bishops,  was  so  well  aware  of  her  inclinations  to  restore 
more  of  Popery  than  even  he  desired,  that  one  of  the  argu- 
ments which  he  employed  to  urge  Parker  to  a  more  vigor- 
ous persecution  of  the  Puritans,  was  an  apprehension  lest 
the  opposition  they  gave  to  her  ecclesiastical  arrangements 
should  provoke  her  to  a  total  abandonment  of  Protestantism. f 
Indeed,  so  well  established  is  this  point  by  the  clearest  his- 
toric evidence,  that  no  man  acquainted  with  the  facts  of  the 
case  now  doubts  it,  except,  perhaps,  some  Anglican  evan- 
gelicals, who  are  retained  in  the  bosom  of  the  Church  of 
England  through  a  delusive  idea  that  it  had  really  been 
reformed  by  Elizabeth.  The  High  Church  party  are  per- 
fectly aware  that  Elizabeth  did  prevent  the  reformation  of 
the  Church  of  England.  "This  arbitrary  monarch,"  says 
one  of  that  party,  "  had  a  tendency  towards  Rome  almost 
in  every  thing  but  the  doctrine  of  the  papal  supremacy. 
To  the  real  presence  she  was  understood  to  have  no  objec- 
tion ;  the  celibacy  of  the  clergy  she  decidedly  approved  ; 
the  gorgeous  rites  of  the  ancient  form  of  worship  she  ad- 
mired, and  in  her  own  chapel  retained."!  The  Puseyites 
gratefully  acknowledge  the  service  Elizabeth  rendered  to 
their  cause.  "  Queen  Elizabeth,"  says  one  of  that  school, 
"  with  her  prejudices  in  favour  of  the  old   religion,  was 

*  Strype's  Parker,  Ap.  Records,  No.  17.  f-  Ibid.  i.  4.56. 

t  Quarterly  Review  for  June  18"27,  p.  31.  See  even  the  low- 
church  Burnet,  the  indiscriminate  panegyrist  of  Elizabeth's  mea- 
sures, Hist.  Ref.  ed.  1839,  ii.  582-3.  Dr.  Short,  the  present  bishop 
of  Sodor  and  Man,  makes  the  same  confession,  Sketch  of  the  Hist. 
of  the  Church  of  England,  2d  ed.  313,  et  passim.  And  so,  in  short, 
as  we  have  said,  do  all  historians,  except  some  evangelicals,  to 
whose  position  it  is  essential  to  overlook  the  fact. 

b2  .2  17 


14  THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION. 

doubtless  an  instrument  in  the  hand  of  God  for  stopping  the 
progress  of  the  Reformation.''*  Indeed,  the  only  objec- 
tions that  party  have  to  Elizabeth's  measures  is,  that  she 
kept  the  supremacy  to  herself  instead  of  leaving  it  in  the 
hands  of  the  clergy. 

Still  with  all  her  faults,  and  they  are  sufficiently  numer- 
ous and  aggravated,  Elizabeth  was  a  splendid  monarch, 
and  we  can  easily  account  for  the  admiration  in  which  her 
memory  is  still  held  in  England.  To  view  her  to  advan- 
tage, or  perhaps  even  to  do  her  justice,  we  must  forget  her 
sex,  overlook  her  religious  opinions,  bear  in  mind  the  un- 
settled form  of  the  constitution,  and  judge  her  by  the  max- 
ims of  her  own  age.  That  assuredly  could  be  no  ordinary 
personage  who  could  task  the  consummate  sagacity  and 
finished  tact  of  Cecil,  fix  the  volatile  passions  of  Leicester, 
bend  the  stubborn  spirit  of  Parker,  outmanceuvre  the  Ma- 
chiavellian policy  of  Montalto,  and  humble  the  genius, 
chivalry,  and  resources  of  Spain.  In  courage  equal  to 
Semiramis,  in  accomplishments  to  Zenobia,  in  policy  and 
energy  to  Catherine,  she  possessed  a  combination  of  talents. 
to  which  none  of  them  could  lay  claim.  Forget  for  the 
moment  her  creed,  overlook  her  treatment  of  parliament 
and  the  Puritans,  place  yourself  in  her  own  age,  and  view 
her  merely  as  a  monarch,  and  even  prejudice  must  acknow- 
ledge that  she  was  the  most  magnificent  sovereign  that 
ever  occupied  the  English  throne. 

The  various  steps  by  which  the  Church  of  England  was 
brought  to  assume  its  present  form,  have  been,  as  might 
well  be  expected,  very  keenly  canvassed.  We  shall  en- 
able the  reader,  by  a  simple  induction  of  facts,  to  form  his 
own  opinion  both  of  the  Church  itself,  and  of  the  various 
means  by  which  it  was  primarily  established,  and  made  to 
assume  its  present  form. 

The  first  act  of  Elizabeth's  first  parliament  restored  to 
the  crown  the  supremacy  in  matters  spiritual  which  was 
possessed  by  Henry  VIII.  and  Edward  VI.,  but  which 
Mary  had  resigned  to  the  Pope.     By  this  act, 

"  Such  jurisdictions,  privileges,  superiorities  and  pre-emi- 
nences, spiritual  and  ecclesiastical,  as  by  any  spiritual  or 
ecclesiastical  power  or  authority  hath  heretofore  been,  or 
may  lawfully  be  exercised  or  used  for  the  visitation  of 
the  ecclesiastical  state  and  persons,  and  for  reformation, 
order  and  correction  of  the  same,  and   of  all  manner  of 

*  British  Critic  for  October  1842,  p.  333.     See  also  p.  330—1. 

18. 


THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION.  15 

errors,  heresies,  schisms,  abuses,  offences,  contempts  and 
enormities,  shall  for  ever,  by  the  authority  of  the  present 
parliament,  be  united  and  annexed  to  the  imperial  crown 
of  the  realm." 

By  a  clause  in  the  act  of  uniformity,  it  was  enacted, 
"  That  the  Queen's  Majesty,  by  advice  of  her  ecclesiastical 
commissioners,  may  ordain  and  publish  such  ceremonies  or 
rites  as  may  be  most  for  the  advancement  of  God's  glory, 
and  the  edifying  of  the  church."  So  highly  did  Elizabeth 
esteem  the  authority  thus  conferred  upon  her,  that  she  told 
Parker  she  would  never  have  consented  to  establish  the 
Protestant  religion  at  all,  but  for  the  power  with  which  she 
was  thus  invested  to  change  it  according  to  her  own  will. 
Nor  let  it  be  forgotten  that  the  present  sovereign  Victoria 
has,  at  this  moment,  the  very  same  extent  of  power  which 
the  act  of  supremacy  conferred  upon  Elizabeth. 

In  order  to  enable  Elizabeth,  and  all  her  successors,  to 
exercise  this  most  exorbitant  power,  by  a  clause  in  the  act 
of  supremacy  she  was  empowered  to  delegate  her  authority 
to  any  persons,  being  natural  born  subjects,  whether  lay  or 
clerical,  who,  as  commissioners  from,  and  for  the  crown, 
were  empowered  to  "  visit,  reform,  redress,  order,  correct 
and  amend  all  such  errors,  heresies,  schisms,  abuses,  con- 
tempts and  enormities  whatsoever,  which,  by  any  manner 
of  spiritual  or  ecclesiastical  power,  authority  or  jurisdiction, 
can  or  may  lawfully  be  reformed,  ordered,  redressed,  cor- 
rected, restrained  or  amended." 

"  Nothing,"  as  a  High-Church  historian  has  well  observ- 
ed, "  can  be  more  comprehensive  than  the  terms  of  this 
clause.  The  whole  compass  of  Church  discipline  seems 
(and  not  only  seems,  but  in  reality  was)  transferred  upon 
the  crown."  *  While  all  parties,  except  the  most  decided 
Erastians,  low-churchmen,  and  some  also  of  the  Evangeli- 
cal body,  have  united  in  condemning,  in  the  strongest  terms, 
the  spiritual  powers  thus  conferred  upon  the  crown,  their 
indignation  has  been  specially  directed  against  that  clause 
by  which  the  whole  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction  of  the  Church 
of  England  may  be  exercised  by  lay  commissioners,  acting 
by  a  warrant  under  the  crown.  Had  the  crown  been 
restricted  to  employ  only  ecclesiastics  in  ecclesiastical 
causes,  the  evil  would  be  practically  redressed.  But  as 
the  crown  not  only  possessed,  but  exercised  the  power  to 
place  this  jurisdiction  in  the  hands  of  laymen,  who,  in  vir- 

•  Collier's  Ecclesiastical  History,  Barham's  edition,  vi.  224. 

19 


10  THE  ANGLICAN  REFORMATION. 

tue  of  their  commission,  were  empowered  to  examine,  cen- 
sure, suspend,  and  even  depose,  not  only  the  inferior  clergy, 
but  even  the  prelates  and  the  primates,  and  did  too,  in 
manifold  instances,  execute  their  commission,  it  were 
strange,  indeed,  if  any  man  who  can  distinguish  the 
Church  from  the  world,  and  things  spiritual  from  things 
civil,  could  but  deplore  and  condemn  this  foul  invasion  of 
the  privileges  of  Christ's  kingdom. 

Such  was  the  foundation  of  the  high  commission  court, 
and  of  the  star  chamber,  which  in  a  subsequent  age  proved 
so  disastrous,  not  only  to  the  liberties  and  the  lives  of  the 
subject,  but  also  to  the  stability  of  the  altar  and  the  throne. 
The  authority  of  these  courts  was  so  undefined,  their  powers 
so  despotic,  that  they  could  be  perpetuated  only  by  the 
destruction  of  all  liberty,  both  civil  and  religious. 

"  Whoever,"  says  a  Romanist  historian  of  high  name, 
"  will  compare  the  powers  given  to  this  tribunal,  ^the  high 
commission  court,)  with  those  of  the  inquisition  which  Philip 
the  Second  endeavoured  to  establish  in  the  Low  Countries, 
will  find  that  the  chief  difference  between  the  two  courts 
consisted  in  their  names."  * 

And  all  that  a  learned  and  zealous  advocate  of  the 
Church  of  England  can  say  in  her  defence  is,  that  "  Dr. 
Lingard  ought  to  have  added,  that  though  such  commis- 
sions were  not  unknown  in  the  time  of  Edward  VI.,  the 
person  who  first  brought  into  England  the  model  attempted 
in  the  Low  Countries  was  Queen  Mary ;  .  .  .  and  that  the 
same  system  was  continued  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  not 
because  it  was  congenial  with  the  spirit  of  Protestantism, 
but  because  the  temper  of  the  times  had  been  trained  and 
hardened  in  the  school  of  Popery."|  As  if  it  were  not 
admitted,  even  by  this  apologist  himself,  that  the  Church 
of  England  had  the  precedency  of  Philip  in  the  institution 
of  a  court  of  inquisition  under  Edward,  as  if  any  man  but 
an  out-and-out  apologist  of  the  Church  of  England  would 
identify  the  actions  of  Elizabeth  with  the  genuine  manifes- 
tations of  "  the  spirit  of  Protestantism,"  and  as  if,  besides, 
the  high  commission  court  and  the  star  chamber,  as  Dr. 
Cardwell's  words  would  insinuate,  had  terminated  with  the 
reign  of  Elizabeth,  or  had  been  abolished  by  the  Church  of 
England,  when  he  very  well  knows  the  horrors  these  courts 

*  Lingard's  History  of  England,  v.  316. 

t  Dr.  Cardwell's  Documentary  Annals  of  the  Church  of  England, 
i.  223. 

20 


THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION.  17 

perpetrated  in  subsequent  reigns,  and  knows,  too,  tliat  it 
was  the  rising  power  of  the  Puritans  that  demolished  these 
infernal  courts,  which  an  increasing  party  in  the  Church 
of  England,  who  fairly  represent  her  genius,  will  ere  long 
restore,  if  the  old  Puritan  spirit  do  not  prevent  such  a  na- 
tional calamity. 

Ample  as  the  spiritual  and  ecclesiastical  powers  thus 
conferred  upon  Elizabeth  were,  she  was  not  satisfied,  until, 
by  a  clause  in  the  act  of  supremacy,  all  persons  holding 
public  ojfiice,  civil,  juridical,  municipal,  military  or  eccle- 
siastical, were  required  to  take  an  oath  in  recognition  of 
the  supremacy  royal,  binding  themselves  to  defend  the 
same,  under  pain  of  being  deprived  of  their  offices,  and  of 
being  declared  incapable  of  further  employment.  This 
oath,  by  the  36th  canon,  continues  to  be  taken  by  all  eccle- 
siastics down  to  this  day. 

Thus,  by  one  disastrous  stroke,  the  liberties  of  the  Church 
of  England  were  cloven  down,  and  laid  prostrate  in  the 
dust.  All  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction,  all  spiritual  power, 
were  lodged  in  the  crown,  without  respect  to  the  sex,  creed, 
or  character  of  the  party,  who,  for  the  time,  might  happen 
to  wear  it.  The  prelates  and  pastors  of  that  Church  thus 
became,  even  in  the  discharge  of  their  most  sacred  func- 
tions, the  mere  vicars  and  delegates  of  the  supreme  civil 
magistrate.  Not  one  rite,  even  the  most  trivial,  can  they 
alter,  not  one  canon,  however  necessary,  can  they  pass, 
not  one  error,  however  gross,  can  they  reform,  not  one 
omission,  even  the  most  important,  can  they  supply.  The 
civil  magistrate  enacts  the  creed  they  are  bound  to  profess 
and  inculcate,  frames  the  prayers  which  they  must  offer  at 
the  throne  of  God,  prescribes  in  number  and  form  the  sa- 
craments they  must  administer,  arranges  the  rites  and  vest- 
ments they  must  use,  down  to  the  colour,  shape,  and  stuff 
of  a  cap  or  a  tunicle,  and  takes  discipline  altogether  out  of 
their  hand.  The  parish  priest  has  no  authority  to  exclude 
the  most  profligate  sinner  from  communion ;  the  lordliest 
prelate  and  primate  cannot  excommunicate  the  most  aban- 
doned sinner,  or  suspend  the  most  immoral  ecclesiastic 
from  his  functions ;  and  should  either  the  priest  or  the 
prelate  attempt  to  exercise  the  discipline  prescribed  by  the 
Lord  Jesus  in  his  house,  he  will  speedily  be  made  to  under- 
stand, by  the  terrors  of  a  prcemicnire,  or  the  experience  of 
a  prison,  that  he  is  not  appointed  in  the  Church  of  England 
to  administer  the  laws  of  Christ,  but  the  statutes  of  the  im- 
2*  21 


18  THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION. 

perial  parliament,  or  the  injunctions  of  the  crown.*  Never 
was  there  so  autocratical  a  despotism  placed  in  the  hands 
of  a  human  being,  as,  by  the  Constitution  of  the  Church 
of  England,  is  reposed  in  the  sovereign — never,  on  earth, 
was  there  so  fettered  and  enthralled  a  community  as  the 
southern  establishment.  The  muftis  and  other  ecclesiasti- 
cal functionaries  (so  to  term  them)  have  an  indefinite  au- 
thority by  the  constitution  of  Turkey  to  resist  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  the  Sultan — A  general  council,  it  is  the  prevalent 
opinion  among  Romanists,  can  control  the  authority  of  the 
pope,  and  in  both  cases  the  supreme  functionaries  are  con- 
sidered spiritual  officers ;  but  in  the  Church  of  England, 
priests,  prelates,  and  primates,  have  no  authority  what- 
ever, ecclesiastics  though  they  be,  to  control,  or  even  to 
modify,  the  spiritual  supremacy  of  a  lay  and  civil  magis- 
trate. 

So  anomalous  a  society  was  never  witnessed,  if  society 
it  can  be  called,  which  has  not  one  single  element  of  an 
organized  community, — which  consists  of  a  mere  conge- 
ries of  individual  atoms  without  laws  enacted  by  themselves, 
without  officers  appointed  by  themselves,  or  powers  lodged 
in  themselves,  which  has  no  self-existing  attributes,  no  self- 
regulating  agency,  which,  in  one  word,  has  not  one  single 
element,  even  the  most  essential  of  a  corporate  body. 
Were  we  disposed  to  push  our  arguments,  as  far  as  we  are 
warranted,  we  might  deny  that  the  Church  of  England  is  a 
Church  at  all.  For  let  it  be  observed  that,  as  from  the 
nature  of  the  case,  spiritual  power  cannot  be  lodged  in  lay 
or  civil  hands,  any  more  than  authority  to  administer  the 

*  It  is  only  one  or  two  years  ago  that  a  country  clergyman  wrote 
the  editor  of  the  Christian  Observer  for  advice  under  the  follow- 
ing circumstances.  A  married  gentleman  in  his  parish  lived  in  a 
state  of  open  adultery  with  the  wife  of  another  man.  A  child  was 
the  fruit  of  this  unhallowed  union.  The  guilty,  but  shameless 
mother,  actuated  by  feelings  which  we  are  glad  we  cannot  analyze, 
came  to  the  minister,  insisting  upon  being  "churched;"  that  is, 
that  a  particular  office,  appointed  for  the  purpose,  should  be  offer- 
ed up  next  Sabbath,  returning  thanks  to  the  God  of  all  holiness 
for  the  safe  delivery  of  this  infant,  born  in  double  adultery.  We 
know  not  what  was  the  issue  of  the  case,  but  our  brethren  of  the 
Synod  of  Ulster,  in  one  of  their  late  admirable  works  in  favour 
of  presbytery  (Presbyterianism  Defended,  pp.  183-4.  203-4,)  men- 
tion an  instance  of  a  minister  who  was  kept  for  years  in  prison 
for  having  refused  the  strumpet  of  a  gentleman  resident  in  his 
parish  admission  to  the  Lord's  Supper.  The  late  case  of  the  dean 
of  York  shows  the  jurisdiction,  or  rather  total  want  of  jurisdic- 
tion, which  the  prelate  possesses  over  the  clergy. 
22 


THE    ANGLICAN   REFORMATION.  19 

sacraments,  the  Lord's  Supper,  as  well  as  baptism,  and  to 
confer  orders,  can  be  possessed  by  a  layman  or  a  woman  ; 
and  as  all  priestly  powers,  by  the  constitution  of  the  Church 
of  England,  are  placed  in  the  sovereign — the  prelates  be- 
ing his  mere  delegates,  (and  that,  whether  as  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  VIII.,  and  of  Edward  VI.,  they  are  obliged  to  take 
out  a  commission  to  empower  them  to  perform  their  func- 
tions, or  submit,  as  they  all  must  now  do,  to  the  36th  can- 
on;)'and  as,  moreover,  every  society  must  possess  some 
species  of  organization,  suited  to  its  peculiar  character, 
which  the  Church  of  England,  as  a  Church,  does  not  pos- 
sess, it  raises  a  serious  question,  whether  that  can  be  ac- 
counted a  Church,  if  we  are  to  take  our  ideas  of  a  Church 
from  the  word  of  God.  We  certainly  have  no  intention 
whatsoever  to  maintain,  as  so  many  of  them  do  regarding 
us,  that  the  individuals  who  compose  that  Church  are  cast 
out  to  the  "  uncovenanted  mercies  of  God ;"  for  we  rejoice 
to  know  that  the  grace  of  God  is  not  restrained  by  any 
external  impediments  ;  and  we  rejoice  further  to  know,  that 
there  are  many  of  God's  chosen  ones  in  communion  with 
that  Church,  as  we  doubt  not  was  also  the  case  even  in 
the  Church  of  Rome,  during  the  middle  ages ;  but  as  a 
Church,  or  scripturally  constituted  society,  we  dare  not 
but  have  considerable  difficulty  in  recognizing  it.* 

*  When  Henry  VIII.  was  about  to  appoint  a  commission  to  ex- 
amine the  state  of  the  religious  houses,  he,  with  one  stroke  of  his 
pen,  suspended  all  the  prelates  in  England  from  the  exercise  of 
their  jurisdiction.  He  afterwards,  at  the  humble  petition  of  each 
prelate  separately  presented,  was  graciously  pleased  to  restore 
him  to  his  functions  by  a  commission,  in  which  it  was  distinctly 
specified  that  he  was  to  regard  himself  as  the  mere  vicar  of  the 
crown.  The  terms  of  these  commissions  are  sufficiently  startling 
to  any  man  who  has  not  sounded  the  lowest  depths  of  Erastian- 
ism.  We  may  give  a  condensed  summary  of  one  clause  of  these 
singular  instruments:  "Since  all  authority,  civil  and  ecclesiasti- 
cal, flows  from  the  crown,  and  since  Cromwell,"  (a  mere  layman, 
but  made  vicar-general  in  spiritualihiis  over  all  the  clergy)  "to 
whom  (and  not  to  the  prelates)  the  ecclesiastical  part  has  been 
committed,"  {vices  nostras  as  the  vicar  of  the  crown)  "is  so  occu- 
pied, that  he  cannot  fully  exercise  it,  we  commit  to  you  (each  in- 
dividual prelate)  the  license  of  ordaining,  granting  institution  and 
collation,-  and,  in  short,  of  performing  all  other  ecclesiastical 
acts  ;  and  we  allow  you  to  hold  this  authority  during  our  pleasure, 
as  you  must  answer  to  God  and  to  us !"  Similar  commissions 
were  granted  by  Edward  VI.  to  his  prelates.  See  the  originals 
in  Collier  (fol.)  ii.  rec.  Nos.  31,  41 ;  or  Barham's  ed.  ix.  pp.  123, 
157;  Burnet,  i.  rec.  b.  iii.  No.  14;  and  ii.  No.  2;  or  London  8vo. 
ed.  1839;  iv.  pp.  104,249. 

23 


20  THE    ANGLTPAN    REFORIVrATION-, 

The  Erastian  thraldom  to  which  the  Church  of  England 
has  been  reduced,  cannot  but  be  galling  to  all  her  rightly- 
constituted  clergy,  and  we  so  deeply  sympathize  with  them, 
that  we  put  the  most  favourable  construction  upon  all  their 
apologies  for  themselves.  We  cannot,  however,  lend  the 
same  indulgence  to  their  attempts  to  prove  that  theirs  is  the 
best  possible  constitution,  any  more  than  we  could  listen 
with  any  patience  to  a  West  Indian  slave,  who  should  shake 
his  fetters  in  our  face  as  an  evidence  of  the  superior  advan- 
tages of  slavery.  Even  this,  however,  we  might  pass  with 
a  sigh  for  the  degradation  to  which  slavery  reduces  its  vic- 
tims, but  we  cannot  extend  the  same  tolerance  to  their  libels 
upon  other  Churches  for  having  had  the  manliness  of  spirit 
to  assert  their  proper  liberty,  and  the  regard  to  the  honour 
of  Jesus  to  vindicate  his  sovereign  exclusive  supremacy  in 
his  own  Church.  And  yet  a  member  of  the  Church  of 
England  can  never  think  of  defending  his  own  Church,  but 
he  must  at  the  same  time  attack  the  Churches  of  others,  and 
especially  the  Church  of  Scotland.*  Just  notice  the  self- 
complacent  absurdity  of  the  following  passage  iTrom  the  last 
page  of  the  work  noticed  in  the  preceding  note,  by  the  pre- 
sent bishop  of  Sodor  and  Man  :  "  Compare,"  says  Dr.  Short, 
addressing  men  who  are  too  ignorant  to  be  capable  of  insti- 
tuting a  comparison,  or  too  prejudiced  to  be  able  to  pass  an 
impartial  judgment,  "  compare  what  took  place  in  Scotland 
with  what  took  place  in  England,  at  the  period  of  the  Refor- 
mation ;"  and  after  showing  some  of  those  things  which  did 
take  place  in  England,  and  stating  that  "the  admirer  of  our 
Episcopal  Church — our  apostolic  establishment"  must  thank 
the  timid,  if  not  the  time-serving  and  Erastian  Cranmer,  that 
the  Church  of  England  was  reformed  precisely  as  she  was, 
and  that  it  did  not  happen  there  as  it  did  happen  among 
us — we  have  Dr.  Short's  word  for  it — "  that  the  force  of  the 
multitude  ...  in  Scotland  (had)  thrown  down  what  the 
Episcopalians  will  consider  as  almost  the  Church  itself." 

And  who,  pray,  composed  that  "  multitude"  of  which 
Dr.  Short  speaks  so  very  contemptuously  ?  The  Christian 
people  of  Scotland,  who  through  "  the  unction  of  the  Holy 
One,"  had,  by  an  ordination  higher  than  the  Church  of 
England    can    confer,  been    made  a  "  royal  priesthood  ;" 

*  See  some  specimens  of  this  line  of  defence  and  attack,  which 
would  be  amusing  enough  from  their  ludicrousness,  if  they  were 
not  pitiable  from  the  perversity  of  judgment  they  display,  in  Dr. 
Short's  Sketch  of  the  History  of  the  Church  of  England,  104,  242 
-3,  198,  and  elsewhere. 
24 


THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION.  21 

and  who,  both  by  their  position  in  the  Church,  and  by  their 
qualification,  were  thus  entitled  and  bound  by  more  author- 
itative "  injunctions"  than  ever  emanated  from  prince  or 
prelate,  to  "  try  the  spirits,"  and  not  to  accept  of  any  man 
to  be  minister  over  them,  unless,  as  his  credentials,  he 
brought  with  him,  not  "  letters  of  orders,"  or  an  excerpt 
from  a  pretended  apostolical  genealogy,  but  the  gifts,  graces, 
and  gospel  of  the  living  God.  And,  pray,  what  horrible 
acts  did  this  same  "  multitude"  commit,  which  should  be  so 
enormous  as  to  lead  "  an  Episcopalian  to  consider  that  they 
had  almost  thrown  down  the  Church  itself?"  Why,  they 
just  followed  where  their  ministers  led  them — no  great 
crime,  one  should  suppose,  in  the  eyes  of  a  prelate ;  and 
also,  in  conformity  with  the  prophetic  enunciation  of  their 
God-commissioned  apostle,  they  fancied,  that  the  "  best 
way  to  prevent  the  rooks  from  returning  was  to  pull  down 
their  nests,"  a  proceeding,  the  prophetic  sagacity  of  which 
has  been  demonstrated  by  the  history  of  the  Church  of 
England,  in  whose  dark  cloisters  rooks  have  continued  to 
roost  ever  since  the  Reformation,  to  which  as  their  safe 
retreats  they  betake  themselves  whenever  the  moral  efful- 
gence of  the  truth  becomes  painful  to  their  distempered 
optics,  and  from  which,  as  at  present,  they  come  forth  in 
darkening  clouds  whenever  the  fields  seem  ripe  for  their 
pillage.  But  let  us  return  to  the  history  of  the  Anglican 
Reformation. 

When  Elizabeth  ascended  the  throne.  Popery,  as  restored 
by  Mary,  was  the  established  religion.  Those  Protestants 
who  had,  in  the  words  of  Fuller,  "contrived  to  weather  out 
the  storm"  of  Mary's  persecutions  at  home  in  England, 
depending  upon  the  protestantism  of  the  daughter  of  Anne 
Boleyn,  the  early  patroness  of  the  Reformation,  now  ven- 
tured to  celebrate  public  worship  according  to  the  liturgy 
of  Edward  VI.  This  was  done  with  still  more  zeal  by  the 
exiles  who  had  fled  to  the  continent  to  avoid  the  persecu- 
tion of  Mary,  and  had  now  returned  in  the  hope  of  enjoy- 
ing liberty  of  conscience  in  their  native  land.  Elizabeth, 
however,  had  hitherto  done  nothing  to  indicate  that  she  was 
favourable  to  the  reformed  faith,  but  much  to  the  contrary. 
She  had  been  crowned  according  to  the  forms  of  the  popish 
pontifical,  of  which  a  high  mass  was  an  essential  part. 
The  exiles,  however,  presuming  at  least  upon  a  toleration, 
began  to  celebrate  public  worship  according  to  the  reformed 
ritual,  and  to  preach  to  the  people  the  unsearchable  riches 
of  Christ.  Elizabeth,  when  apprized  of  this  proceeding, 
C  25 


22  THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION. 

issued  a  proclamation,  forbidding  all  preaching,  and  the  use 
of  Edward's  liturgy,  and  commanding  that  in  public  wor- 
ship the  missal  in  Latin  should  be  employed,  except  the 
litany,  the  Lord's  prayer,  and  the  creed,  which  were  tole- 
rated in  English.  The  only  instruction  to  be  given  to  the 
people  consisted  of  the  "  gospel  and  the  epistles  of  the  day," 
with  the  ten  commandments,  which  were  allowed  to  be 
read  in  the  English  tongue.  Religion,  throughout  this 
year,  (1558)  continued  precisely  as  it  had  been  in  the 
reign  of  Mary,  and  was  celebrated  by  precisely  the  same 
priests,  with  the  addition  of  so  many  of  the  exiles  as  had 
returned,  and  the  few  Protestants  who  had  remained  at 
home.* 

Elizabeth,  however,  was  aware  that  some  alteration  in 
religion  must  be  made.  Accordingly,  about  the  period  at 
which  she  summoned  her  first  parliament,  she  appointed 
certain  divines,  under  the  presidency  of  Secretary  Sir 
Thomas  Smith,  to  prepare  a  liturgy  which  might  be  laid 
before  the  legislature.  These  divines  were  instructed  to 
compare  Edward's  two  liturgies  with  the  popish  offices,  and 
to  frame  such  a  form  of  prayer  as  might  suit  the  circum- 
stances of  the  times.  They  were,  however,  to  give  a  pre- 
ference to  Edward's  first  liturgy,  which  retained  many 
popish  dogmas  and  usages,  in  all  matters  to  be  very  wary 
of  innovations,  and  especially,  to  leave  all  matters  in  dis- 
cussion between  the  Protestants  and  the  Papists  so  unde- 
fined, and  expressed  in  such  general  terms  as  not  to  of- 
fend the  latter.  Elizabeth's  great  desire  in  this,  and, 
indeed,  in  all  her  measures,,  was  to  comprehend  the 
Papists  in  any  form  of  religion  which  might  be  estab- 
lished. She  never  seems  to  have  entertained  any  desire 
to  conciliate  or  concede  any  thing  to  her  Protestant  sub- 
jects. 

The  divines  having  finished  their  work,  brought  the 
draft  of  a  liturgy  to  Cecil,  in  order  to  its- being  submitted 
to  her  majesty.  Before  presenting  it  to  parliament  Eliza- 
beth made  various  important  alterations  on  it,  all  for 
the  express  purpose  of  reducing  it  to  a  nearer  conformity 
to  the  popish  liturgies,  and  thus  conciliating  the  Papists. 
It  were  altogether  beyond  our  present  limits  to  give  a 
minute  enumeration  of  the  various  alterations  introduced 
by  Elizabeth  into  the  draft  presented  to  her  by  the  divines, 
or  to  show  in  what,  and  how  many  particulars,  her  prayer- 

*  Strype's  Annals,  i.  59,  74,  77 ;  Burnet  ii.  585 ;  Collier  vi.  200. 
20 


THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION.  23 

book,  which  (with  a  few  verbal  alterations  since  introduced) 
is  the  liturgy  at  present  in  use  in  the  Church  of  England, 
is  still  more  popish  than  even  that  which  was  in  use  at 
the  death  of  Edward.  A  few^  however,  must  be  men- 
tioned.* 

In  the  litany  of  Edward's  second  liturgy  there-  was  a 
prayer  in  the  following  terms  : — "  From  the  tyranny  of  the 
Bishop  of  Rome,  and  all  his  detestable  enormites,  good  Lord 
deliver  us."  This  was  cancelled  in  the  liturgy  of  Eliza- 
beth,— we  can  be  at  no  loss  to  divine  for  what  reason. 
In  the  communion  office  of  the  former,  when  the§minister 
delivered  the  bread  to  the  communicant,  he  said,  "  Take, 
and  eat  this,  in  remembrance  that  Christ  died  for  thee,  and 
feed  on  him  in  thine  heart  by  faith,  with  thanksgiving;" 
and  when  he  delivered  the  cup,  he  said,  "  Drink  this  in 
remembrance  that  Christ's  blood  was  shed  for  thee,  and  be 
thankful," — clearly  implying  that  it  was  merely  an  eucha- 
ristict  commemoration,  rendered  efficacious  only  through 
faith.  In  the  communion  office  of  the  latter,  the  priest,  in 
handing  the  bread,  said  to  the  communicant,  "  The  body 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  whicji  was  given  for  thee,  pre- 
serve thy  body  and  soul  unto  everlasting  life.  Take  and 
eat  this,"  &c.  And  when  delivering  the  cup,  "  The  blood 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which  was  shed  for  thee,  pre- 
serve thy  body  and  soul  unto  everlasting  life.  Drink  this," 
&c. — words  that  were  expressly  intended  to  imply  the  real 
presence,  and  an  opics  operation,  efficacy,  without  any 
regard  whatever  to  the  faith  or  spiritual  condition  of  the 
communicant.  In  order  to  prevent  the  idea  that  when 
kneeling  was  retained  as  the  required  posture  at  the  com- 
munion, it  was  intended  to  imply  that  Christ  was  bodily 
present,  or  that  any  adoration  was  designed  to  be  given  to 
the  elements,  a  rubric  was  added  to  the  office  in  Edward's 
second  prayer-book,  which  declared  that  the  elements  re- 


*  Those  who  desire  fuller  information,  we  recommend  to  study 
Dr.  Cardwell's  History  of  Conferences  on  the  Book  of  Common 
Prayer;  the  two  Liturgies  of  Edward  VI.  compared,  by  the  same 
author;  Dr.  Short's  Sketch  of  the  History  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, 537—549 ;  Collier's  History,  vi.  248—250  ;  and  Recor*,  No. 
77;  Strype's  Annals,  i.  98—123:  see  also  Baillie's  Parallel  of  the 
Liturgy  with  the  Mass  Book,  the  Breviary,  and  other  Romish  Rit- 
uals, 4to.,  1641;  Wheatley's  Rationale  of  the  Book  of  Common 
Prayer,  and  the  other  Ritualists ;  Palmer's  Origines  Liturgical. 
Burnet,  Neale,  and  the  other  historiahs,  all  take  up  the  subject, 
but  very  imperfectly. 

27 


24  THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION. 

mained  unchanged,  and  that  no  adoration  was  given  them. 
This  rubric  was  omitted  in  Elizabeth's  prayer-book,  and 
the  communicant  was  left  to  believe  and  to  adore  as  he  had 
been  accustomed  to  do.  The  divines  who  had  drawn  up 
Elizabeth's  liturgy  left  it  to  the  choice  of  the  communicant 
himself  to  receive  the  communion  kneeling  or  standing; 
Elizabeth  made  it  imperative  upon  all  to  receive  it  kneeling. 
These  divines,  besides,  had  disapproved  of  any  distinction 
being  made  between  the  vestments  worn  by  the  ministers 
while  celebrating  the  eucharist,  and  those  worn  at  other 
parts  of  4^he  service ;  Elizabeth,  however,  made  it  impera- 
tive on  the  officiating  priest  to  administer  the  sacrament  in 
the  old  popish  vestments,  as  was  the  case  in  Edward's  first 
liturgy,  but  had  been  altered  in  the  second ;  and  in  order 
that  the  benighted  Papists  might,  by  act  of  parliament,  and 
of  the  supremacy  royal,  have  every  encouragement  to  con- 
tinue in  their  idolatry,  it  was  ordered  that  the  bread  should 
be  changed  into  the  ivafer  formerly  used  at  private  masses. 
Not  satisfied  with  the  popish  innovations  she  had  already 
made,  and  seemingly  apprehensive  that  if  she  went  at  once 
so  far  as  she  felt  inclined  in  her  retrogression  towards 
Rome,  she  might  find  sonie  difficulty  in  carrying  the  pre- 
lates and  the  parliament  along  with  her,  Elizabeth  intro- 
duced into  the  act  of  uniformity  (to  which  we  shall  allude 
immediately)  a  clause  by  which  she  was  empowered  "  to 
ordain  and  publish  such  further  rites  and  ceremonies  as 
should  be  most  for  the  reverence  of  Christ's  holy  myste- 
ries and  sacraments  ;"  words  of  ominous  import ;  and,  as 
we  have  already  stated,  she  told  Parker  that  if  it  had 
not  been  for  the  power  thus  conferred  upon  her,  "  she 
would  not  have  agreed  to  divers  orders  of  the  book."  * 

The  liturgy  having  been  thus  prepared  was  introduced 
into  parliament,  in  a  bill  for  "  Uniformity  of  prayer,  and 
administration  of  sacraments,"  and  passed  through  the 
Commons,  seemingly  without  opposition,  in  the  short  space 
of  three  days.  It  met  with  some  opposition  in  the  upper 
house  from  a  few  of  the  popish  prelates  and  peers,  but  was 
carried,  without  one  word  being  altered,  by  a  most  trium- 
phant majority ;  and  having  received  the  royal  assent,  be- 
came a  law. 


*  Peirce's  Vindic.  of  Dis.  p.  47.     Strype,  Burnet,  Collier,  &c., 
fancy  that  some  of  these  alterations  were  introduced  by  parlia- 
ment, but  Dr.  Cardwell  has  shov/n  that  they  were  the  work  of  Eliza- 
beth ;  see  Cardwell's  History  of  Conf.  pp.  21,  22. 
28 


THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION.  25 

The  population  of  England  at  this  time  consisted  of  two 
great  parties,  Puritans  and  Papists,  with  of  course  some 
neutrals,  who  were  prepared  to  join  either  party  accord- 
ing as  their  interests  might  seem  to  dictate.  These  great 
parties  differed,  as  in  every  thing  else,  so  also  in  their  esti- 
mation of  the  prayer-book.  We  now  proceed  to  consider 
the  opinions  and  the  conduct  of  each  of  these  parties  in 
regard  to  the  newly  imposed  liturgy. 

The  intrinsic  character  of  the  Anglican  liturgy  may  be 
very  safely  inferred  from  the  sources  whence  it  was  drawn, 
and  the  estimation  in  which  it  was  held  by  Papists.  In  re- 
gard to  the  former,  it  is  known  to  all  in  any  measure  con- 
versant with  the  subject,  that  the  book  of  common  prayer 
was  taken  from  the  Romish  service-book.  "  In  our  public 
services,"  says  the  present  bishop  of  Sodor  and  Man,  "  the 
greater  part  of  the  book  of  common  prayer  is  taken  from 
the  Roman  ritual."  Again, — "  In  giving  an  account  of  the 
common  prayer-book,  it  will  be  more  correct  to  describe  it 
as  a  work  compiled  from  the  services  of  the  Church  of 
Rome,  or  rather  as  a  translation  than  as  an  original  com- 
position." Again,  speaking  of  Edward's  first  prayer-book, 
of  which,  indeed,  he  spoke  in  both  the  preceding  instances, 
he  says,  "  almost  the  whole  of  it  was  taken  from  diflerent 
Roman  Catholic  services,  particularly  those  after  the  use 
of  Salisbury,  which  were,  then  generally  adopted  in  the 
south  of  England,  and  the  principle  on  which  the  compilers 
proceeded  in  the  work,  was  to  alter  as  little  as  possible 
what  had  been  familiar  to  the  people.  Thus  the  litany  is 
nearly  the  same  as  in  the  Salisbury  hours."  Speaking  of 
the  Anglican  ordination  office,  he  says,  "  its  several  parts 
are  taken  from  that  in  use  in  the  Church  of  Rome,"  with 
few  exceptions,  which  he  mentions.  In  a  note,  he  states 
that  those  parts  of  the  liturgy  which  were  not  taken  from 
the  service  books  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  were  drawn  from 
a  prayer-book  compiled  about  this  time  by  Hserman,  the 
popish  bishop  of  Cologne.*  Edward's  second  prayer-book 
was  a  revised  edition  of  the  first,  omitting  some  of  the 
grosser  abominations  of  Popery  which  the  first  contained. 
The  present  prayer-book  of  the  Church  of  England  stands 
about  half-way  between  the  first  and  second  of  Edward, 
and  was,  as  we  have  seen  above,  taken  almost  verbatim 
from  the  popish  service  book.  Such,  theti,  is  the  parentage 
of  "  our  apostolical  prayer-book — our  incomparable  liturgy 

*  Sketch  of  the  History,  &c.,  201,  537,  540,  541. 
c2  3  29 


28  THB    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION. 

— our  inestimable  service  book,"  of  which  even  evangeli- 
cal members  of  the  Church  of  England  cannot  speak  in 
terms  sufficiently  expressive  of  their  rapturous  admira- 
tion. 

Bearing  all  this  in  mind,  we  shall  cease  to  feel  any  sur- 
prise at  the  fact  mentioned  by  all  historians  of  the  period, 
that  so  well  satisfied  were  the  Papists  with  the  Reformed 
(so  termed)  services,  and  so  little  difference  did  they  dis- 
cover between  the  modern  and  the  ancient  ritual,  that  for 
the  first  ten  years  of  Elizabeth's  reign  they  continued, 
"  without  doubt  or  scruple,"  as  Heylin  says,  to  attend  pub- 
lic worship  in  the  Church  of  England.  Indeed,  as  all 
acknowledge,  who  know  any  thing  of  the  subject,  if  the 
court  of  Rome  had  not  altered  its  policy  towards  England, 
excommunicated  Elizabeth,  and  forbidden  her  subjects  to 
attend  the  Established  Church,  the  Papists  would  have 
remained  conscientiously  convinced,  that  in  worshipping  in 
the  Anglican  establishment,  they  were  still  attending  upon 
the  Romish  services ;  so  imperceptible  to  their  well-prac- 
tised senses  was  the  difference  between  the  two,  and  so  well 
did  the  compilers  of  the  prayer-book  or  the  revisers  of  their 
work  accomplish  the  task  prescribed  to  them  by  the  queen, 
viz,  to  frame  a  liturgy  which  should  not  oflend  the  Papists.* 
Nay,  but  what  is  more,  when  a  copy  of  the  prayer-book 
had  been  sent  to  the  Pope,  so  Wjsll  was  he  satisfied  with  it, 
that  he  offered,  through  his  nuncio  Parpalia,  to  ratify  it  for 
England,  if  the  queen  would  only  own  the  supremacy  of 
the  see  of  Rome.f  Such  was  the  estimation  in  which  the 
Pope  and  his  followers  held  the  prayer-book,  which  Angli- 
cans now  can  never  mention  without  exhausting  all  the 
superlatives  in  the  vocabulary  of  commendation  to  express 
their  most  unbounded  admiration  of  "  our  inimitable,  inesti- 
mable, incomparable,  apostolic,  (?)  and  all  but  inspired  lit- 
urgy."    Nothing  strikes   so  painfully  upon  the  ear  as  to 

*  Sir  George  Paule  relates  in  his  panegyric  on  Whitgift,  that  an 
Italian  Papist,  lately  arrived  in  England,  on  seeing  that  ambitious 
primate  in  the  cathedral  of  Canterbury  one  Sabbath,  "attended 
upon  by  an  hundred  of  his  own  servants  at  least,  in  livery,  where- 
of there  were  forty  gentlemen  in  chains  of  gold;  also  by  the  dean, 
prebendaries,  and  preachers,  in  their  surplices  and  scarlet  hoods, 
and  heard  the  solemn  music,  with  the  voices  and  organs,  cornets 
and  sackbuts,  he  was  overtaken  with  admiration,  and  told  an  Eng- 
lish gentleman,  that  unless  it  were  in  the  Pope's  chapel,  he  never 
saw  a  more  solemn  sight,  or  heard  a  more  heavenly  sound." — 
Wordsworth's  Eccl.  Biog.,  iv.  388—9. 

t  Strype's  An.  i.  340.    Burnet,  ii.  645.     Collier,  vi.  308—9. 
30 


THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION.  57 

hear  a  man  of  evangelical  sentiments  utter  such  hyperboles 
in  laudation  of  a  popish  compilation,  which  even  antichrist 
offered  to  sanction.  In  attempting  to  account  for  so  start- 
ling a  phenomenon,  we  have  heard  men  less  charitable 
than  ourselves  surmise,  that  the  only  principle  on  which  it 
can  be  accounted  for  is,  that  the  less  intrinsic  merit  any 
object  possesses,  the  more  loudly  must  it  be  praised,  to 
secure  for  it  popular  acceptance.  For  our  own  parts  we 
must  say  we  rank  the  matter  under  the  category  de  gusti- 
bus,  &c.,  and  say  there  is  no  disputing  about  taste.  And 
if  members  of  the  Church  of  England  were  satisfied  with 
enjoying  it  themselves,  without  thrusting  it  upon  other  peo- 
ple, and  if  moreover  they  did  not,  as  some  of  them  do, 
place  it  upon  a  level  with  the  Bible,  we  should  for  our  own 
part  be  as  little  disposed  to  deny  them  its  use,  as  we  cer- 
tainly are  to  envy  them  its  possession. 

The  commendations  bestowed  by  Papists  upon  the  An- 
glican prayer-book,  might  of  itself  lead  us  to  infer  that  it 
did  not  satisfy  the  Reformers ;  and  the  conclusion  thus  ar- 
rived at  is  as  much  in  accordance  with  historic  facts  as  it  is 
the  result  of  logical  accuracy.  The  continental  Reformers 
to  a  man  expressed  both  contempt  and  indignation  towards 
the  Anglican  liturgy.  Calvin*  declared,  that  he  found  in  it 
many  {tolerabiles  ineptias,)  i.  e.  "  tolerable  fooleries  ;"  that 
is,  tolerable  for  the  moment,  as  children  are  allowed,  (to 
use  quaint  old  Fuller's  illustration)  to  "  play  with  rattles  to 
get  them  to  part  with  knives."  Knox+  declared,  that  it 
contained  "  diabolical  inventions,  viz.  crossing  in  baptism, 
kneeling  at  the  Lord's  table,  mumbling  or  singing  of  the 
liturgy,"  &c.,  and  "  that  the  whole  order  of  (the)  book  ap- 
peared rather  to  be  devised  for  upholding  of  massing  priests, 
than  for  any  good  instruction  which  the  simple  people  can 
thereof  receive."  Beza,:j:  writing  to  Bullinger  about  the 
state  of  England  and  the  English  Church,  says,  "  1  clearly 
perceive  that  Popery  has  not  been  ejected  from  that  king- 
dom, but  has  been  only  transferred  from  the  Pope  to  the 
queen ;  and  the  only  aim  of  parties  in  power  there  is  to 
bring  back  matters  to  the  state  in  which  they  formerly 
stood.  I  at  one  time  thought  that  the  only  subject  of  con- 
tention (between  the  Puritans  and  the  Conformists)  was 

*  Epist.  p.  28,  t.  ix.  ed.  1667. 

f  Calderwood's  History,  (Wodrow  ed.,)  i.  431.  See  the  whole 
letter,  pp.  425 — 434. 

\  Strype's  An.  ii.  Rec.  No.  29.  The  whole  letter  deserv€S  a  care, 
ful  perusal. 

31 


28  THE   ANGLICAN    REFORMATION. 

about  caps  and  external  vestments ;  but  I  now,  to  my  in- 
expressible sorrow,  understand  that  it  is  about  very  dilfer- 
ent  matters  indeed,"  even  the  most  vital  and  fundamental 
elements  of  the  Christian  Church,  as  the  sequel  of  the  letter 
shows.*  Beza  concludes  by  saying,  "  such  is  the  state  of 
the  Anglican  Church,  exceedingly  miserable,  and  indeed, 
as  it  appears  to  me,  intolerable."  We  might  quote  similar 
sentiments  from  other  continental  divines,  such  as  BuUinger 
and  Gualter,  and  may  perhaps  do  so  ere  we  close.  But 
since  the  opinions  of  the  Anglican  Reformers  themselves 
will  be,  in  the  circumstances,  of  more  importance,  and 
since  we  are  very  much  hampered  for  want  of  space, 
we  come  at  once  to  the  recorded  judgment  which  these 
great  and  good  men  passed  upon  the  prayer-book  and  the 
Church  of  England. 

The  opinions  of  Grindal,  successively  bishop  of  London 
and  archbishop  of  York  and  Canterbury ;  of  Sandys,  suc- 
cessively bishop  of  Worcester  and  London,  and  archbishop 
of  York;  of  Parkhurst  of  Norwich,  Pilkington  of  Durham, 
Jewell  of  Salisbury,  and  others,  we  need  not  refer  to,  as 
every  one  knows  that  they  expressed  themselves  as  strong- 
ly against  the  state  of  the  Anglican  Church  as  Sampson, 
Fox,  Coverdale,  or  Humphreys.  The  only  prelates  of  the 
first  set  appointed  by  Elizabeth  who  are  claimed  by  Angli- 
cans themselves,  as  having  been  in  favour  of  the  reformed 
condition  of  the  Church  of  England,  are  Archbishop  Parker, 
Cox  of  Ely,  and  Home  of  Winchester,  (as  for  Cheney  of 
Gloucester  and  Bristol,  we  give  him  up  an  avowed  Papist,) 
and  if  we  show  that  these  were  dissatisfied  with  the  condi- 
tion of  the  Church  of  England,  even  her  apologists  must 
acknowledge  that  all  Elizabeth's  first  prelates  desired  that 
that  Church  should  be  further  reformed. 

Parker  was  one  of  the  compilers  of  the  prayer-book,  and 
we  have  already  seen  how  much  the  first  draft  excelled  the 
present  liturgy.  Even  after  it  had  been  enjoined,  both  by 
parliament  and  the  queen,  that  the  communion  should  be 
received  kneeling,  Parker  administered  it  in  his  own  cathe- 
dral to  the  communicants  standing."]*  At  the  very  time 
when  he  was  persecuting  the  Puritans  for  nonconformity, 
(1575,)  he  wrote  Cecil,  "Doth  your  lordship  think  that  I 

*  The  vicar  of  Leeds  not  only  admits,  but  contends  that  Beza 
was  correct  in  statin;?  that  the  contention  entered  into  the  vital 
elements  of  Christianity.  See  Di'.  Hook's  Sermon,  a  Call  to  Union, 
&c.,  2d  ed.,  74,  75. 

f  McCrie's  Life  of  Kaox,  Glh  ed.,  p.  64,  note. 
32 


THE  ANGLICAN  REFORMATION.  29 

care  either  for  caps,  tippets,  surplices,  or  wafer  bread  or 
any  such  1"*  And  Strype  says  expressly,  that  this  "  press- 
ing conformity  to  the  queen's  laws  and  injunctions,  pro- 
ceeded not  out  of  fondness  to  the  ceremonies  themselves," 
which  he  would  willingly  see  altered,  "  but  for  the  laws 
establishing  them  he  esteemed  them."f  "  It  may  fairly 
be  presumed,"  says  Bishop  Short,  "  that  Parker  himself 
entertained  some  doubts  concerning  the  points  which  were 
afterwards  disputed  between  the  Puritans  and  the  High- 
Church  party ;  for  in  the  questions  prepared  to  be  sub- 
mitted to  convocation  in  1563,  probably  under  his  own 
direction,  and  certainly  examined  by  himself,"  for  his  an- 
notations stand  yet  upon  the  margin  of  the  first  scroll, 
*'  there  are  several  which  manifestly  imply  that  such  a  dif- 
ference of  opinion  might  prevail. "J  The  questions  here 
alluded  to  by  Bishop  Short  embrace  most  of  those  matters 
which  were  at  first  disputed  between  the  Puritans  and  con- 
formists. In  particular,  "  It  was  proposed  that  all  vest- 
ments, caps,  and  surplices,  should  be  taken  away ;  that 
none  but  ministers  should  baptize ;  that  the  table  for  the 
sacrament  should  not  stand  altar- wise ;  that  organs  and 
curious  singing  should  be  removed  ;  that  godfathers  and 
godmothers  should  not  answer  in  the  child's  name ;"  and 
several  other  matters,  which  were  then  loudly  complained 
of,  but  which  remain  in  the  Church  of  England  till  this 
day.§  It  was  only  after  he  had  been  scolded  into  irritation 
by  the  queen,  after  his  morose  and  sullen  disposition  and 
despotic  temper  had  been  chafed  and  inflamed  by  the  re- 
sistance of  the  Puritans,  and  he  felt  or  fancied  that  his 
character  and  the  honour  of  his  primacy  were  in  jeopardy, 
that  Parker  committed  himself  to  that  course  of  persecution 
which  has  "  damned  his  name  to  everlasting  infamy." 
Had  he  even  the  inquisitor's  plea  of  conscience,  however 
unenlightened,  to  urge  in  his  own  defence,  some  apology, 
how  inadequate  soever,  might  be  made  for  him.  But 
Parker  was  a  persecutor  only  from  passion,  or  at  best  from 
policy. II  Parker  himself  then  was  inclined  to  a  further  re- 
formation of  the  Church  of  England. 

*  Strype's  Parker,  ii.  424.  f  Ibid.  p.  528. 

^  Sketch,  &c,,  p.  250. 

§  Burnet,  iii.  457,  458.     Strype's  Parker,  i.  386.     Rec.  No.  39. 

II  Bishop  Short  candidly  acknowledges,  that  "  when  Parker  and 
the  other  bishops  had  begun  to  execute  the  laws  against  noncon- 
formists, they  must  have  been  more  than  men,"  or  less,  "  if  they 
could  divest  their  own  minds  of  that  personality  which  every  one 
3*  33 


30  THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION. 

As  to  Cox  again:  in  a  letter  to  Bullinger,  in  1551,  we 
find  him  writing  thus  : — "  I  think  all  things  in  the  Church 
ought  to  be  pure  and  simple,  removed  at  the  greatest  dis- 
tance from  the  pomp  and  elements  of  the  world.  But  in 
this  our  Church  what  can  I  do  in  so  low  a  station  ?"  (he 
was  then,  if  we  rightly  remember,  only  archdeacon  of  Ely :) 
*'  I  can  only  endeavour  to  persuade  our  bishops  to  be  of  the 
same  mind  with  myself.  This  1  wish  truly,  and  I  commit 
to  God  the  care  and  conduct  of  his  own  work."*  In  the 
following  year  we  find  him  complaining  bitterly  of  the  op- 
position of  the  courtiers  to  the  introduction  of  ecclesiastical 
discipline,  and  predicting  that  if  it  were  not  adopted,  "  the 
kingdom  of  God  would  be  taken  away  from  them."f  After 
his  return  from  exile,  he  joined  with  Grindal,  (whose  scru- 
ples in  accepting  a  bishopric  were  hushed  only  by  all  the 
counsels  and  exhortations  of  Peter  Martyr,  Bullinger,  and 
Gualter)j  and  the  other  bishops  elect  in  employing  the  most 
strenuous  efforts  to  effect  a  more  thorough  reformation  in 
the  Church  of  England,  before  they  should  accept  of  dio- 
ceses in  it.  When  they  found  that  they  could  not  succeed, 
they  seriously  deliberated  whether  they  could  accept  of  pre- 
ferments in  so  popish  a  Church.  At  last  they  were  in- 
duced to  yield  to  the  counsels  of  Bullinger  and  Gualter, 
and  other  continental  divines  whom  they  consulted,  because 
the  rites  imposed  were  not  in  themselves  necessarily  sinful; 
because  they  anticipated  that  when  elevated  to  the  mitre, 
they  should  have  power  to  effect  the  reformation  they  de- 
sired, and  because,  moreover,  by  occupying  the  sees  they 
might  exclude  Lutherans  and  Papists,  who  would  not  only 
not  reform,  but  would  bring  back  the  Church  still  further 
towards  Rome.§  Even  Cox,  then,  desired  further  reforma- 
tion in  the  Church  of  England,  and  was  so  dissatisfied  with 
its  condition,  that  notwithstanding  of  the  gold  and  power  it 
would  bestow,  (and  both  of  them  he  loved  dearly)  he  scru- 
pled to  accept  a  bishopric  within  its  pale.  When  we  bear 
in  mind  his  conduct  at  Frankfort,  and  his  subsequent  career 
in  England,  we  may  safely  conclude  that  the  Church  that 
was  too  popish  for  Cox  had  certainly  but  few  pretensions  to 
the  name  either  of  Reformed  or  Protestant. 

must  feel  when  engaged  in  a  controversy  in  which  the  question 
really  is,  whether  he  shall  be  able  to  succeed  in  carrying  his  plans 
into  execution."     Sketch,  &c.,  p.  251. 

*  Burnet,  iii.  303—4.  f  Strype's  Mem.  Ref.  ii.  366. 

i  Strype's  Grindal,  41 — 44,  Ap.  No.  11. 

§  Strype's  An.  ii.  263.    Strype's  Grindal,  41— -49,  438. 


THE    ANGLICAN   REFORMATION.  31 

And  finally,  as  to  Home,  he  not  only  had  scruples  at 
first,  like  the  rest,  as  to  accepting  a  bishopric,  but  when  he 
found  that  the  reformation  he  anticipated  he  should  be  able 
to  effect  after  his  elevation  could  not  be  accomplished,  he 
deliberated  with  himself,  and  consulted  with  the  continental 
divines,  whether  it  did  not  become  his  duty  to  resign  his 
preferments.  In  conjunction  with  Grindal,  he  wrote  for 
advice  to  Gualter,  asking,  whether,  under  the  circumstances, 
he  thought  they  could  with  a  safe  conscience,  continue 
in  their  sees.  Gualter  induced  Bullinger,  whose  influence 
was  greater,  to  answer  the  question  submitted  to  him. 
Bullinger  accordingly  replied,  that  if,  upon  a  conscientious 
conviction,  it  should  appear  that,  upon  the  whole,  and  all 
things  considered,  it  were  better  to  remain,  then  it  became 
their  duty  to  occupy  their  places,  but  if  the  reverse,  then  it 
was  as  clearly  their  duty  to  renounce  them.  He  cautions 
them,  however,  against  imagining,  that  because  he  gives 
this  counsel,  he  therefore,  in  any  manner,  approved  of  the 
conduct  of  those  who  were  for  retaining  "  Papistical  dregs." 
On  the  contrary,  he  urges,  with  the  greatest  warmth,  that 
the  queen  and  the  rulers  of  the  nation  should  be  importuned 
to  proceed  further  with  the  Reformation,  and  that,  among 
other  reasons,  lest  the  Church  of  England  should  remain 
"  polluted  with  the  Popish  dregs  and  otfscourings,  or  afford 
any  ground  of  complaint  to  the  neighbour  Churches  of 
Scotland  and  France."  Further  information  on  this  sub- 
ject will  be  found  in  the  note  below.* 

*  Since  attempts  have  been,  and  are  still  made  to  represent  the 
divines  of  Zurich  as  having  been  satisfied  with  the  length  to 
which  reformation  was  carried  in  the  Church  of  England,  it  is  ne- 
cessary to  show  that  the  very  reverse  is  the  truth.  Those  who 
have  access  to  the  work,  and  can  read  the  language,  we  would  re- 
commend to  peruse  in  full  the  letters  sent  by  Grindal  and  Home 
to  Bullinger  and  Gualter,  and  the  answers  returned  by  these  di- 
vines, as  they  appear  in  Burnet's  Records,  B.  vi.  Nos.  75,  76,  82, 
83,  87.  Those  who  cannot  read  the  original,  may  form  some 
idea  of  their  contents  from  the  translated  Summary,  iii.  pp.  462 — 
476. 

Grindal,  whose  scruples  were  never  removed,  and  who  therefore, 
wrote  frequently  and  anxiously  to  foreign  divines  to  obtain  their 
sanction  to  the  course  he  was  pursuing,  had,  in  conjunction  with 
Home,  written  to  Bullinger  and  Gualter,  requesting  further  coun- 
sel regarding  the  propriety  of  their  remaining  in  the  Church  of 
England.  Perceiving,  most  probably,  the  wounded  state  of  the 
consciences  of  their  brethren  in  the  Lord,  Bullinger  and  Gualter 
wrote  a  soothing  reply,  saying  as  much  as  they  conscientiously 
could  in  favour  of  remaining  in  their  cures.     When  the  Anglican 

35 


32  THE    ANGLICAN    RKFORMATION. 

Such,  then,  was  the  judgment  deliberately  formed  and 
often  repeated,  even  of  those  Anghcan  High-Church  pre- 
lates, regarding  the  constitution  and  usages  of  the  Church 
of  England.     We  should  much  deepen  the  impression  we 

prelates  received  this  answer,  they  at  once  saw  that  the  judgment 
of  those  eminent  foreign  divines  would  go  far  to  stop  the  censures 
which  the  Puritans  pronounced  against  their  conforming  brethren  ; 
and  although  the  letter  was  strictly  private,  they  published  it.  As 
soon  as  Bullinger  and  Gualter  were  apprised  of  this  act,  they 
wrote  a  letter  to  the  Earl  of  Bedford,  one  of  the  leaders  of  the 
Puritan  party,  complaining  of  the  breach  of  confidence  of  which 
Grindal  and  Home  had  been  guilty,  and  explaining  the  circum- 
stances in  which  their  letter  had  been  written,  deploring  that  it 
had  been  made  the  occasion  of  further  persecution  against  their 
dear  brethren  in  Christ  (the  Puritans,)  and  urging  upon  the  good 
Earl  to  proceed  strenuously  in  purifying  the  Church  of  England 
of  the  dregs  of  Popery,  which,  to  their  bitter  grief,  they  found 
were  still  retained  within  her.  When  Home  and  Grindal  learned 
the  feelings  of  their  continental  correspondents,  they  sent  them  a 
most  submissive  and  penitential  apology.  In  reply,  Bullinger 
and  Gualter  mentioned  several  of  those  errors  still  existing  in  the 
Church  of  England,  which  they  urged  all  her  prelates  to  reform  ; 
such  as  subscriptions  to  new  articles  of  faith  and  discipline,  theat- 
rical singing  in  churches,  accompanied  by  the  "  crash  of  organs," 
baptism  by  women,  the  interrogations  of  sponsors,  the  cross,  and 
other  superstitious  ceremonies  in  baptism,  kneeling  at  the  com- 
munion, and  the  use  of  wafer  bread  (which  Strype  informs  us  was 
made  like  the  "  singing  cakes"  formerly  used  in  private  masses, 
Life  of  Parker,  ii.  32 — 5,)  the  venal  dispensations  for  pluralites, 
and  for  eating  flesh  meat  in  Lent,  and  on  "fish  days,"  (which  dis- 
pensations were  sold  in  the  archbishop's  court,)  the  impediments 
thrown  in  the  way  of  the  marriage  of  the  clergy,  the  prohibition 
to  testify  against,  to  oppose  or  refuse  conformity  to  those  abuses, 
the  restricting  all  ecclesiastical  power  to  the  prelates;  and  con- 
cluded by  imploring  them,  "in  the  bowels  of  Jesus  Christ,"  to 
purge  the  temple  of  God  from  such  Popish  abominations.  In 
reply  to  this  faithful  appeal,  poor  Grindal  and  Home  write  a  very 
penitent  and  submissive  letter,  which  we  cannot  read  over  at  this 
day  without  the  most  painful  emotion  at  the  condition  to  which 
these  men  of  God  were  reduced  between  their  desire  to  serve  God 
in  the  gospel  of  his  Son,  and  their  scruples  of  conscience  against 
the  antichristian  impositions  to  which  they  were  subjected.  The 
drift  of  their  letter  was  to  show  that  they  had  no  power  to  reform 
the  evils  complained  of,  (and  which  they  condemn  and  deplore  as 
much  as  their  correspondents,)  and  that  either  they  must  remain 
as  they  are,  or  abandon  their  benefices,  and  see  them  filled  by 
Papists,  who  would  destroy  the  flock  of  Christ.  In  conclusion, 
they  promise — but  we  must  give  their  promise  in  a  literal  transla- 
tion— "  We  shall  do  the  utmost  that  in  us  lies,  as  already  we  have 
done,  in  the  last  sessions  of  parliament  and  of  convocation,  and 
that,  even  although  our  future  exertions  should  be  as  fruitless  as 


THE   ANGLICAN   REFORMATION.  33 

desire  to  produce  upon  our  readers,  had  we  space  also  to 
give  the  sentiments  of  the  more  evangelical  prelates ;  of 
Parkhurst,  for  example,  who,  in  a  letter  to  Gualter  in  1573, 
fervently  exclaims, — "  Oh,  would  to  God,  would  to  God, 
that  now  at  last  the  people  of  England  would  in  good  earn- 
est propound  to  themselves  to  follow  the  Church  of  Zurich 
as  the  most  perfect  pattern  ;"  *  or  of  his  scholar  and  fellow- 
prelate  Jewell,  who  calls  the  habits  enjoined  upon  the  min- 
isters of  the  Church  of  England,  "  theatrical  vestments — 
ridiculous  trifles  and  relics  of  the  Amorites,"  and  satirizes 
those  who  submitted  to  wear  them  as  men  "  without  mind, 
sound  doctrine  or  morals,  by  which  to  secure  the  approba- 
tion of  the  people,  and  who,  therefore,  wished  to  gain  their 
plaudits  by  wearing  a  comical  stage-dress. "f  But  it  is 
unnecessary.  The  following  passage  from  a  High-Church 
writer  of  the  present  day  concedes  all  we  desire  to  estab- 
lish. After  having  condemned  the  Erastianism  of  Cran- 
mer,  and  the  want  of  what  he  terms  "  catholic"  feeling  and 


the  past,  that  all  the  errors  and  abuses  which  yet  remain  in  the 
Church  of  England  shall  be  corrected,  expurgated  and  removed, 
according  to  the  rule  and  standard  of  the  word  of  God,"  In  a 
preceding  part  of  their  letter  they  had  said,  that  "  although  they 
might  not  be  able  to  effect  all  they  desired,  they  should  not  yet 
cease  their  exertions  until  they  had  thrust  down  into  hell,  whence 
they  had  arisen,"  certain  abuses  which  they  mention.  And  are 
these,  then,  the  men  who  are  to  be  regarded  as  approving  of 
the  extent  to  which  reformation  had  been  carried  in  the  Church  of 
England  1 

We  have  given  the  sentiments  of  the  divines  »f  Zurich  at  the 
greater  length,  because  some  of  their  letters  are,  till  this  day,  per- 
verted, as  they  were  at  the  time  when*  they  were  written.  Had 
this  been  done  only  by  Collier,  Heylin,  and  their  school,  we  should 
not  take  any  notice  of  it  in  our  present  sadly  limited  space.  But 
when  such  writers  as  Strype,  Cardwell,  and  Short,  lend  their 
names  to  palm  such  impositions  upon  the  public  mind,  it  is  ne- 
cessary at  once  to  show  what  was  the  real  state  of  the  case.  Dr. 
McCrie  (Life  of  Knox,  note  R.)  has  charged  the  Anglican  prelates 
with  having  given  "partial  representations"  to  the  foreign  divines, 
for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  their  sanction  to  the  state  of  maUers 
in  England:  and  any  man  of  competent  knowledge  of  the  subject, 
who  reads  over  their  letters,  must  be  painfully  aware,  that, 
although  they  may  not  have  designed  it,  yet,  as  was  so  very 
natural  in  their  circumstances,  they  did  write  in  a  manner  which 
could  not  but  lead  their  correspondents  into  the  grossest  mis- 
takes. 

*  Strype's  An.  ii.  286—342. 

f  See  many  such  passages  in  Dr.  McCrie's  note  last  referred  to, 
and  the  letters  in  Burnet's  Records. 

D  37 


34  THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION. 

spirit  in  his  coadjulors,  and  having  denounced  Hooper  as 
"  an  obstinate  Puritan — a  mere  dogged  Genevan  preacher," 
(the  most  opprobrious  epithets  the  writer  can  bestow,)  and 
Coverdale  as  a  "  thorough  Puritan  and  Genevan,  who  offi- 
ciated at  the  consecration  of  Archbishop  Parker  in  his  black 
gown^''  (in  italics^  to  indicate  the  sacrilegious  profanation 
of  the  act — we  wonder  whether  it  invalidated  his  share,  or 
the  whole  of  the  proceeding,)  the  writer  proceeds  thus  : — 

"  The  immediate  successors,  however,  of  the  Reformers, 
as  often  happens  in  such  cases,  went  further  than  their 
predecessors  did,  and  were  more  deeply  imbued  with  the 
feelings  of  the  day.  The  Episcopate,  in  the  first  part  of 
Queen  Elizabeth's  reign,  were  successors  of  Hooper  and 
Coverdale,  almost  more  than  they  were  of  Cranmer  and 
Ridley :  indeed,  it  was  only  her  strong  Tudor  arm  that 
kept  them  within  decent  bounds,"  (that  is,  that  kept  them 
from  assimilating  the  Church  of  England  to  the  other  Re- 
formed Churches.)  "  The  greater  part  of  them  positively 
objected  to  the  surplice — including  Sandys,  Grindal,  Pil- 
kington,  Jewell,  Home,  Parkhurst,  Bentham,  and  all  the 
leading  men  who  were  for  simplifying  our  Church  ceremo- 
nial in  that  and  other  respects,  according  to  the  Genevan, 
(that  is,  Presbyterian)  model ;  Archbishop  Parker  almost 
standing  alone  with  the  queen  in  her  determination  to  up- 
hold the  former."  (And  we  have  already  seen  that  he  was 
about  as  little  enamoured  of  them  as  his  coadjutors.) 

After  having  referred  to  some  of  Jewell's  letters  to  the 
foreign  divines  written  against  the  Anglican  ceremonies, 
the  writer  maikes  an  observation  which  ought  to  be  ever 
present  to  the  minds  of  those  who  read  the  censures  of 
Jewell  and  his  cotemporaries.  "  It  was  no  Roman  Catholic 
ritual,  we  repeat,  of  which  he  thus  expressed  himself,  but 
our  own  doubly  reformed  prayer-book — the  divine  service 
as  nmv  'performed.^''  *  Who  now  are  the  lineal  descendants 
and  proper  representatives  of  the  Anglican  Reformers  ? — 
the  Puritans  who  desired  further  reformation,  or  those  who 
so  loudly  praise  our  "  Catholic  Church,  our  apostolic  es- 
tablishment," and  vigorously  resist  every  attempt  to  amend 
the  most  glaring  corruptions  in  the  Church  of  England  ? 
We  wish  the  evangelical  party  would  ponder  the  answer 
that  question  must  receive ; — -^ve  say,  the  evangelical  party, 
for  we  are  aware  that  high  churchmen,  if  they  moved  at 
all,  would  move  in  the  direction  of  Rome. 

*  British  Critic  for  October  1842,  pp.  330,  331. 
38 


THE   ANGLICAN   REFORMATION.  85 

Having  thus  shown  the  opinions  of  the  prelates  regarding 
the  constitution  and  ceremonies  of  the  Church  of  England, 
let  us  now  show  the  opinions  of  the  inferior  clergy :  And 
here  one  fact  may  stand  for  all.  In  the  year  1562,  a  peti- 
tion was  presented  to  the  lower  house  of  convocation,  sign- 
ed by  thirty-two  members,  most  of  them  exiles,  and  the 
best  men  in  the  kingdom,  praying  for  the  following  altera- 
tions in  the  service  of  the  Church  of  England :  1 .  That 
organs  might  be  disused,  responses  in  the  "  reading  psalms" 
discontinued,  and  the  people  allowed  to  sing  the  psalms  in 
metre,  as  was  the  custom  on  the  continent,  and  had  also 
been  practised  by  the  English  exiles,  not  only  when  there, 
but  after  they  had  returned  to  their  native  land,  and  as  was 
also  the  case  among  the  Puritans  when  they  non-conform- 
ed to  (for  they  never  seceded  or  dissented  from)  the  Church 
of  England,  of  which  they  could  never  be  said  to  have  been 
bona  fide  members.  2.  That  none  but  ministers  should 
be  allowed  to  baptize,  and  that  the  sign  of  the  cross  should 
be  abolished.  3.  That  the  imposition  of  kneeling  at  the 
communion  should  be  left  to  the  discretion  of  each  bishop 
in  his  own  diocese ;  and  one  reason  assigned  for  this  part 
of  the  petition  was,  that  this  posture  was  abused  to  idolatry 
by  the  ignorant  and  superstitious  populace.  4,  That  copes 
and  surplices  should  be  disused,  and  the  ministers  made 
to  wear  some  comely  and  decent  garment,  (such  as  the 
Geneva  gown,  which  all  the  early  Puritans  wore.)  5.  That, 
as  they  expressed  it  themselves,  "  The  ministers  of  the 
word  and  sacraments  be  not  compelled  to  wear  such  gowns 
and  caps  as  the  enemies  of  Christ's  gospel  have  chosen  to 
be  the  special  array  of  their  priesthood."  6.  That  certain 
words  in  Article  33,  be  mitigated,  which  have  since  been 
omitted  altogether.  7.  That  saints'  days  might  be  abolish- 
ed, or  kept  only  for  public  worship,  (and  not,  as  was 
then  the  case,  for  feasting,  jollity,  superstition,  and  sin,) 
after  which  ordinary  labour  might  be  carried  on. 

This  petition  was  eventually  withdrawn,  and  another 
very  much  to  the  same  purpose  substituted  for  it.  This 
second  petition  prayed  for  the  following  alterations  : — 1 . 
That  saints'  days  be  abolished,  but  all  Sundays,  and  the 
principal  feasts  of  Christ  be  kept  holy.  2.  That  the  liturgy 
be  read  audibly,  and  not  mumbled  over  inaudibly,  as  had 
been  done  by  the  massing  priests.  3.  That  the  sign  of  the 
cross  in  baptism  be  abolished  as  tending  to  superstition. 
4.  That  kneeling  at  the  communion  be  left  to  the  discre- 
tion of  the  ordinary.     5.  That  ministers  may  use  only  a 

39 


36  THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION. 

surplice,  or  other  decent  garment  in  public  worship,  and  the 
administration  of  the  sacraments.  6.  That  organs  be 
removed  from  churches. 

After  a  protracted  and  vigorous  debate,  these  articles 
were  put  to  the  vote,  when  forty-three,  most  of  them  exiles, 
voted  that  the  petition  be  granted,  and  only  thirty-live 
against  it ;  thus  leaving  a  clear  majority  of  eight  in  favour 
of  a  further  reformation.  When,  however,  proxies  were 
called  for,  only  fifteen  appeared  for,  while  twenty-four 
appeared  against  the  petition,  being,  on  the  whole,  fifty- 
eight  for,  and  fifty-nine  against,  leaving  a  majority  of  one 
for  rejecting  the  prayer  of  the  petition.* 

There  is  one  point  mentioned  in  the  minutes  of  convoca- 
tion, an  extract  from  which  is  given,  both  by  Burnet  and 
Cardwell,  which  must  be  kept  in  view,  to  enable  us  to  ar- 
rive at  a  correct  conception  of  the  sentiments  of  those  who 
voted  against  the  above  articles.  In  the  minute,  it  is  dis- 
tinctly mentioned,  that  the  most  of  those  who  voted  against 
granting  the  prayer  of  the  petition,  did  so,  not  upon  the 
merits,  but  only  from  a  feeling  that  since  the  matters  in 
debate  had  been  imposed  by  public  authority  of  parliament 
and  the  queen,  it  was  not  competent  for  convocation  to  take 
up  the  subject  at  all.  Thus,  the  motion  for  which  they 
really  voted  was,  not  that  the  abuses  complained  of  should 
be  continued,  but  that  the  convocation  had  no  power  to  alter 
them.  A  second  section  of  those  who  voted  against  the 
articles,  was  composed  of  those  who  had  held  cures  under 
Edward,  and  had  a  hand  in  the  public  affairs  of  his  reign, 
and  who,  having  remained  in  England  daring  the  reign  of 
Mary,  had  not  seen  the  purer  churches  on  the  continent, 
and  regarded  the  reformation  of  Edward  as  sufficiently 
perfect.  A  third  section  of  the  majority  consisted  of  those 
who  held  benefices  under  Mary,  and  who  were  of  course 
Papists  in  their  hearts,  and  would  therefore  vote  against 
any  further  reformation.  After  we  have  thus  analyzed  the 
parties,  and  weighed,  instead  of  numbering,  the  votes,  and 
when,  besides,  we  bear  in  mind  that  a  majority  of  those 
who  heard  the  reasoning  upon  the  matters  in  dispute,  voted 
for  further  reformation,  it  is  easy  to  see  on  whose  side  truth 
and  justice  lay. 

There  is,  besides,  another  point  to  which  Dr.  Cardwell 

*  Strype's  An.  i.  500—6.  Burnet  iii.  454,  455.  Records,  Bk. 
vi.  No.  74.  Collier,  vi.  371—3.  Card  well's  Hist,  of  Conf.  117— 
120. 

40 


THE   ANGLICAN   REFORMATION.  37 

has  called  our  attention,*  which  we  regard  of  the  very- 
highest  importance,  and  to  which,  consequently,  we  call 
the  special  attention  of  our  readers.  It  is  this,  that 
although,  since  the  time  of  Burnet  and  Strype,  it  has  been 
always  said  that  the  number  of  those  who  voted  for  the 
Articles  was  fifty-eight,  yet,  when  we  count  them  fairly, 
they  are  fifty-nine,  precisely  the  number  who  voted  against 
them.  Now,  if  we  give  the  prolocutor  (the  same  as  our 
moderator,)  a  casting  vote,  Nowell,  dean  of  St.  Paul's, 
who  was  prolocutor  of  that  convocation  and  voted  in  favour 
of  the  Articles,  and  would  of  course  give  his  casting  vote 
on  the  same  side,  this  would  give  a  majority  in  favour  of 
further  reformation. 

But  how  are  we  to  account  for  the  fact,  that,  if  thus  the 
numbers  were  equal,  that  fact  should  not  be  known  to  the 
members  ?  We  should  be  glad  to  hear  of  any  other  way 
of  solving  the  difiiculty ;  but  the  only  mode  of  doing  so 
that  occurs  to  us,  is  to  suppose  that  Parker  or  the  queen 
had  recourse  to  the  artifice  employed  by  Charles  I.  in  the 
Scottish  parliament,  viz.,  concealed  the  roll  and  declared 
that  the  majority  was  in  their  favour,  while  it  was  against 
them,  as  was  clearly  seen  when  the  original  came  into  the 
hands  of  the  public.  That  Parker  was  capable  of  the 
manoeuvre,  no  man  who  knows  his  character  can  for  one 
moment  question :  and  that  Elizabet-h  would  feel  at  the 
least  as  little  scruple  in  doing  so  as  Charles  I.,  he  that 
doubts  may  consult  the  note  at  the  foot  of  the  page.f 

*  Cardwell's  Hist,  of  Conf.,  p.  120,  note. 

f  In  1559  a  bill  passed  through  parliament  authorizing  the  queen 
to  restore  to  their  former  cures,  such  of  the  returned  exiles  as  had 
been  unlawfully  deprived;  that  is,  by  Mary  on  account  of  their 
Protestantism.  "Yet,"  says  Strype,  (Annals  i.  99,)  "I  do  not  find 
it  was  enacted  and  passed  into  law."  It  must  therefore  have  been 
clandestinely  suppressed  by  Elizabeth,  who  both  hated  and  feared 
the  Protestantism  of  the  exiles.  She  acted  very  much  in  the  same 
way  in  regard  to  the  re-enacting  of  Edward's  statute  in  favour  of 
clerical  marriages,  (Ibid.  118.)  The  convocation  of  1575,  among 
other  articles  of  reformation,  breathing  the  spirit  of  Grindal  who 
was  just  then  raised  to  the  primacy,  passed  the  following,  that 
none  but  ministers  lawfully  ordained  should  baptize,  and  that  it 
should  be  lawful  to  marry  at  any  period  of  the  year:  but  Eliza- 
beth cancelled  both,  (Strype's  Grindal,  390 — 1.)  We  need  not, 
however,  multiply  instances  in  which  Elizabeth  exercised  this 
power,  as  it  is  admitted  on  all  hands,  that  she  both  claimed  and 
exercised  it.  (Cardwell's  Documentary  Annals,  ii.  171 — 2,  note.) 
The  case  most  in  point  is  the  following,  along  with  the  liberty 
we  have  already  been,  she  took  with  the  first  draft  of  the  liturgy. 
d2  4  41 


88  THE  ANGLICAN  REFORMATION. 

From  this  induction  of  facts,  it  is  most  abundantly  mani- 
fest that  the  prelates  and  the  great  majority  of  the  leading 
members  of  the  lower  house  of  convocation,  were  de- 
cidedly in  favour  of  a  further  reformation.  It  only  further 
remains  to  finish  this  branch  of  our  argument,  that  we 
show  the  feelings  of  the  leading  statesmen  of  the  kingdom. 
This  may  be  done  in  the  following  passage  from  one  who 
is  certainly  a  competent  enough  witness  so  far  as  know- 
ledge is  concerned,  and  whom  no  one  will  accuse  of  any 
partiality  towards  the  Puritans.  After  stating  that  several 
of  the  bishops  were  in  favour  of  the  Puritans,  Hallam*  goes 
on  to  say, 

"  They"  the  Puritans,  "  had  still  more  effectual  support 
in  the  Queen's  council.  The  Earl  of  Leicester,  who  pos- 
sessed more  power  than  any  one  to  sway  her  wavering 
and  capricious  temper,  the  Earls  of  Bedford,  Huntington 
and  Warwick,  regarded  as  the  steadiest  Protestants  among 
the  aristocracy,  the  wise  and  grave  Lord  Keeper  Bacon, 
the  sagacious  Walsingham,  the  experienced  Sadler,  the 
zealous  KnoUys,  considered  these  objects  of  Parker's  se- 
verity (the  Puritans)  either  as  demanding  a  purer  worship 
than  had  been  established  in  the  Church,  or  at  least  as 
worthy,  by  their  virtues,  of  more  indulgent  treatment. 
Cecil  himself,  though  on  intimate  terms  with  the  arch- 
bishop, and  concurring  generally  in  his  measures,  was  not 
far  removed  from  the  latter  way  of  thinking,  if  his  natural 
caution  and  extreme  dread,  at  this  juncture,  of  losing   the 

Our  readers  are  aware  of  the  controversy  as  to  how  the  celebrated 
clause,  ("The  Church  hath  power  to  decree  rites  and  ceremonies, 
and  authority  in  controversies  of  faith,")  crept  into  the  Twentieth 
Article  of  the  Church  of  England,  when  it  occurs  neither  in  the 
first  printed  edition  of  the  Articles,  nor  in  the  draft  of  them  which 
was  passed  by  convocation,  and  which  is  still  in  existence,  with 
the  autograph  signatures  of  the  members.  It  is  now  the  universal 
belief  that  Elizabeth  inserted  this  clause,  as  well  as  cancelled 
the  whole  of  the  Thirty-ninth  Article,  whose  title  sufficiently 
indicates  its  contents,  viz.  "the  ungodly  (impii)  do  not  eat  the 
body  of  Christ  in  the  sacrament  of  the  supper,"  a  dogma  which 
Elizabeth,  who  believed  in  transubstantiation,  could  not  admit. 
(See  Lamb's  Historical  and  Critical  Essay  on  the  the  thirty-nine 
Articles,  p.  35,  &,c.  Cardwell's  Hist,  of  Conf.  21,  22,  note.  Card- 
well's  Synodalia,  i.  38,  39,  note.  Cardwell's  Doc.  An.  ii.  171, 
note.  Bishop  Short's  Sketch,  &c.  327,  note.)  The  person  who 
could  thus  act  was  certainly  capable  of  falsifying  the  votes  of  con- 
vocation, 1562. 

*  Constitutional  Hist,  of  England,  i.  256,  257. 
42 


THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION.  39 

Queen's  favour,  had  permitted  him  more  unequivocally  to 
express  it." 

Mr.  Hallam  by  no  means  does  full  justice  to  the  senti- 
ments of  Cecil.  No  one  can  read  his  correspondence  with 
the  Puritans,  and  his  private  letters  to  the  prelates,  without 
being  satisfied  that  that  great  statesman  fully  concurred  in 
all  the  general  principles  of  the  former. 

Jn  regard  again  to 

"The  upper  ranks  among  the  laity,  setting  aside  cour- 
tiers and  such  as  took  little  interest  in  the  disputes,"  these, 
says  Mr.  Hallam,  "  were  chiefly  divided  between  those 
attached  to  the  ancient  Church,  and  those  who  wished 
for  further  reformation  in  the  new.  I  conceive  the  Church 
of  England  party,  that  is,  the  party  adverse  to  any  species 
of  ecclesiastical  change,  to  have  been  the  least  numerous 
of  the  three,  (that  is,  Puritan,  Popish,  and  Anglican,) 
during  this  reign,  still  excepting,  as  I  have  said,  the  neu- 
trals who  commonly  make  a  numerical  majority,  and  are 
counted  along  with  the  dominant  religion.  .  .  .  The 
Puritans,  or  at  least  those  who  rather  favoured  them,  had 
a  majority  among  the  Protestant  gentry  in  the  Queen's 
days.  It  is  agreed  on  all  hands  (and  is  quite  manifest) 
that  they  predominated  in  the  House  of  Commons.  But 
that  house  was  (then)  composed,  as  it  has  ever  been,  of 
the  principal  landed  proprietors,  and  as  much  represented 
the  general  wish  of  the  community  when  it  demanded  a 
further  reform  in  religious  matters,  as  on  any  other  sub- 
jects. One  would  imagine  by  the  manner  in  which  some 
(that  is  unscrupulous  high  churchmen)  express  them- 
selves, that  the  discontented  were  a  small  fraction,  who,  by 
some  unaccountable  means,  in  despite  of  the  government 
and  the  nation,  formed  a  majority  of  all  the  parliaments 
under  Elizabeth  and  her  two  successors." 

Who  now,  then,  constituted  the  real  Church  of  England 
party  ?  Elizabeth  chiefly — a  host  in  herself — aided  by  all 
the  Popish,  immoral  and  irreligious  persons  in  the  kingdom, 
whether  lay  or  clerical. 

'Lest  our  readers  should  fancy  that  we  have  been  all  this 
time  describing  merely  the  transition  state  of  the  Church 
of  England  before  she  became  fully  organized  as  she  is 
now  established, — a  state  which  is  interesting  in  the  pre- 
sent day  only  as  it  serves  to  indicate  to  a  philosophic  in- 
quirer, in  the  same  manner  as  a  fossil  does  to  a  compara- 
tive anatomist  the  bygone  condition  of  some  primeval  state 
of  society ; — in  order  to  prevent  such  a  mistake,  we  beg 

43 


44  THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION. 

sequent  history  of  the  Church  of  England,  read  to  our  own 
ministers  in  their  present  arduous  struggle  !  The  second 
set  of  bishops  appointed  by  Elizabeth  were,  without  a  single 
exception,  men  of  more  Erastian  sentiments,  of  more  lax 
theology,  of  more  Popish  tendencies,  than  their  predeces- 
sors. The  first  prelates  had  been  trained  amid  the  ad- 
vancing reformation  of  Edward,  and  among  the  Presbyte- 
rians on  the  continent,  and  had  imbibed  the  sentiments  of 
their  associates.  But  their  successors  had  been  trained  in 
the  Church  of  England,  and  bore  the  impress  of  her  char- 
acter. And  such  would  also  be  the  case  in  our  own 
Church,  were  our  ministers,  by  an  unhallowed  submission, 
to  yield  to  the  antichristian  invasion  of  the  Church's  rights 
and  liberties  now  attempted.  To  these  our  ministers,  God 
has  committed  a  glorious  cause.  May  they  be  found 
worthy  to  maintain  it.  Their  deeds  are  before  men  and 
angels.  Future  historians  shall  record  their  acts,  and  in- 
scribe their  names  in  the  glorious  muster-roll  of  martyrs 
and  confessors,  or  denounce  them  to  eternal  infamy. 
We  shall  watch  their  proceedings  with  an  interest  which 
the  shock  of  armed  empires  would  not  excite  in  our  bosoms, 
and,  by  God's  grace,  shall  lend  our  aid  to  make  known  to 
posterity  how  they  have  fought  the  good  fight  and  kept  the 
faith.  The  arena  of  their  struggle  may  appear  obscure 
and  contracted.  But  it  is  the  Thermopylae  of  Christen- 
dom. On  them,  and  on  their  success,  under  God,  it  de- 
pends, whether  worse  than  Asiatic  barbarism  and  despotism 
are  to  overwhelm  Europe,  or  light,  and  life,  and  liberty, 
to  become  the  birthright  of  the  nations.  May  the  Captain 
of  the  host  of  Israel  ever  march  forward  at  their  head. 
May  the  blue  banner  of  the  covenant,  unstained  by  one 
blot,  be  victorious  in  their  hands,  as  it  was  of  yore.  May 
the  sword  of  the  Lord,  and  of  Gideon,  now  unsheathed, 
never  return  to  its  scabbard,  until  the  Church  of  Scotland 
shall  have  vindicated  her  rights,  and  established  her  liber- 
ties on  an  immovable  basis.  No  surrender  !  No  compro- 
mise !  Better  the  mountain  side,  like  our  fathers,  and 
freedom  of  communion  with  our  God,  than  an  Erastian 
establishment,  which  would  no  longer  be  a  Church, — 
than  a  sepulchral  temple,  from  which  the  living  God  had 
fled. 

We  return  from  this  digression,  (for  which  we  make  no 
apology, — we  would  despise  the  man  that  would  require  it,) 
to  relate  the  internal  condition  of  the  Church  of  England  at 
and  after  the  accession  of  Elizabeth. 
48 


THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION.  45 

One  fact  will  prove,  to  every  man  who  regards  "  Christ 
crucified  as  the  power  of  God  and  the  wisdom  of  God  unto 
salvation,"  that  the  Church  of  England  was  at  this  time  in 
the  most  wretched  condition  imaginable,  both  moral  and 
spiritual.  Of  nine  thousand  four  hundred  clergymen,  of 
all  grades,  then  beneficed  in  that  Church,  and  all,  of  course, 
Papists,  being  the  incumbents  of  Mary's  reign,  only  one 
hundred  and  ninety-two,  of  whom  only  eighty  were  paro- 
chial, resigned  their  livings ;  the  rest,  as  much  Papists  as 
ever,  and  now,  in  addition,  unblushing  hypocrites,  who 
subscribed  what  they  did  not  believe,  and  submitted  to 
what  they  could  not  approve,  remained  in  their  cures,  and 
became  the  ministers  of  the  Protestant  (?)  Church  of  Eng- 
land.* We  should  do  these  nine  thousand  two  hundred 
and  eight  who  remained  in  their  cures,  an  honour  to  which 
they  have  no  claim,  were  we  to  compare  them  to  the 
most  ignorant,  scandalous,  and  profligate  priesthood  at 
present  in  Europe.  Many  of  them  did  not  understand  the 
offices  they  had  been  accustomed  to  "  mumble"  at  the 
altar.  Some  of  them  could  not  sign  their  names,  or  even 
read  the  English  liturgy.  Yet  into  the  hands  of  these  men 
did  Elizabeth  and  her  prelates  commit  the  immortal  souls 
of  the  people  of  England.  And  if  at  any  time  the  people, 
shocked  at  the  immoralities  and  papistry  of  their  parish 
priest,  attended  ordinances  under  some  more  Protestant 
minister  in  the  neighbourhood,  they  were  compelled,  by 
fines  and  imprisonment,  to  return  to  their  own  parish 
church. 

When  in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  several  of  these 
papistico-protestant  priests  had  died,  and  others  of  them 
had  fled  out  of  the  kingdom,  there  were  no  properly  quali- 
fied ministers  to  replace  them.  Patrons  sold  the  benefices 
to  laymen,  retaining  the  best  part  of  the  fruits  in  their  own 
hands.  Thus  the  parishes  remained  vacant.  Strype, 
speaking  of  the  state  of  the  diocese  of  Bangor  in  1565, 
says,  "  As  for  Bangor,  that  diocese  was  much  out  of  order, 
there  being  no  preaching  used."  And  two  years  -Qfter- 
wards  the  bishop  wrote  to  Parker,  that  "  he  had  but  two 
preachers  in  his  whole  diocese,"  the  livings  being  in  the 

*  The  following  is  Strype's  list  of  those  who  resigned, — viz.,  14 
bishops,  18  deans,  14  archdeacons,  15  heads  of  colleges,  50  pre- 
bendaries, 80  rectors,  6  abbots,  priors,  and  abbesses,  in  all  192. 
Annals,  i.  106.  Burnet,  ii.  620,  makes  them  only  189.  Collier, 
vi.  p.  252,  following,  as  is  his  wont.  Popish  authorities,  when 
they  can  add  credit  to  their  own  Churcli,  makes  them  about  250. 
E  49 


42  THE    ANGLICAN    REF0K3IATI0N. 

ened,  who  saw  further  into  the  intentions  of  Elizabeth,  and 
who  would  not  accept  of  any  benefice  in  the  Anglican 
Church  until  they  saw  her  further  reformed.  Among 
these,  not  to  speak  of  those  who  are  known  as  avowed 
Puritans,  may  be  mentioned  Bishop  Coverdale,*  and  Fox 
the  martyrologist.  Parker  used  every  means  to  induce 
Fox  to  conform,  in  order  that  the  great  influence  of  his 
name  might  prevail  upon  others  to  follow  his  example. 
"  But  the  old  man,  producing  the  New  Testament  in  Greek, 
*  To  this,'  saith  he,  '  I  will  subscribe.'  But  when  a  sub- 
scription to  the  canons  was  required  of  him,  he  refused, 
saying,  <  I  have  nothing  in  the  Church  save  a  prebend  at 
Salisbury,  and  much  good  may  it  do  you  if  you  will  take 
away.'  "  f  The  best  part  of  the  inferior  clergy  again,  who 
conformed,  did  so  in  the  hope  that  the  prelates  whom  they 
knew  to  be  of  tlieir  own  sentiments  would,  now  that  they 
were  elevated  to  places  of  power,  be  able  to  accomplish 
the  further  reformation  which  all  so  very  ardently  desired. 
Of  all  the  true  Protestants,  not  one  would  have  consented 
to  accept  a  preferment  in  the  Anglican  Church,  if  he  had 
been  at  the  outset  aware  that  no  further  reformation  was 
to  be  accomplished.  What,  then,  it  may  be  asked,  con- 
tinued to  retain  them  in  her  communion,  when  they 
found  that  they  could  not  reform  that  Church?  It  is  a 
delicate  question,  but  we  have  no  hesitation  in  rendering  an 
answer. 

The  deteriorating  influence  of  high  stations  of  honour, 
power,  and  wealth,  has  been  rendered  proverbial  by  the 
experience  of  mankind ;  but  never  was  it  more  disastrously 
manifested  than  by  Elizabeth's  first  bishops. :|:  Not  one  of 
them  had  escaped  the  corrupting  influence  of  their  sta- 

huntlred  times  more  perfect  than  that  which  was  then  in  being," 
(Edward's  Second  Liturgy,)  and  if  the  king  had  been  spared  a  little 
longer,  it  is  agreed  on  all  hands,  it  would  have  been  introduced 
along  with  many  other  alterations.  See  Dr.  Cardwell's  Two 
Prayer-Books,  &c.  Compared,  preface,  34 — 6.  And  yet  the  pre- 
sent prayer-book,  as  we  have  seen,  is  more  Popish  than  that  which 
Cranmer  would  reform. 

*  Strype's  Ann.  ii.  43 ;  Life  of  Parker,  i.  295,  297. 

f  Fuller's  Ch.  Hist.  ii.  475. 

+  Cecil,  writing  to  Whitgift  about  filling  up  some  bishoprics 
then  vacant,  says,  "  he  saw  such  worldliness  in  many  that  were 
otherwise  affected  before  they  came  to  cathedral  churches,  that 
he  feared  the  places  altered  the  men."  Strype's  Whitgift,  i.  338. 
He  makes  very  much  the  same  complaint  to  Grindal  in  1575. 
Strype's  Grindal,  281. 
46 


THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION.  43 

tions.*  Having  so  far  overcome  the  scruples  they  at  first 
entertained  against  conformity,  not  it  must  be  feared  with- 
out doing  violence  to  their  convictions,  it  was  but  natural 
that  they  should  entertain  not  the  most  kindly  feelings 
towards  those  whose  consistency  of  conduct  not  only  would 
degrade  them  in  their  own  eyes,  but  open  up  afresh  the 
wounds  yet  raw  in  their  consciences.  The  apostate  is 
ever  the  most  vindictive  persecutor  of  his  former  brethren. 
Besides,  no  one  can  fail  to  have  noticed,  that  when  a  man 
has  irretrievably  committed  himself  to  a  cause  which  he 
formerly  opposed,  he  is  compelled,  by  the  necessity  of  his 
position,  to  become  more  stringent  and  inflexible  in  his 
proceedings,  than  the  man  who  is  now  pursuing  only  the 
course  on  which  he  first  embarked.  Bishop  Short,  in  a 
passage  already  quoted,  has  candidly  admitted,  that  "  when 
Parker  and  the  other  bishops  had  begun  to  execute  the  laws 
against  non-conformists,  they  must  have  been  more  than 
men  if  they  could  divest  their  own  minds  of  that  person- 
ality which  every  one  must  feel  when  engaged  in  a  contro- 
versy in  which  the  question  really  is,  whether  he  shall  be 
able  to  succeed  in  carrying  his  plans  into  execution." 
We  could  assign  other  reasons  for  the  conduct  of  Eliza- 
beth's first  bishops,  but  we  entertain  too  high  a  regard  for 
what  they  had  been,  to  take  any  pleasure  in  exposing  their 
faults. 

What  now  would  these  great  and  good  men  do  were 
they,  with  their  avowed  principles,  when  they  returned 
from  exile,  to  appear  in  our  day  ?  Would  they  praise  the 
Church  of  England  as  "  our  primitive  and  apostolic  Church, 
— the  bulwark  of  the  Reformation, — the  safeguard  of  Pro- 
testantism, and  the  glory  of  Christendom,"  as  some  who 
boast  of  being  their  successors  continue  to  do?  Would 
they  even  accept  cures  in  the  Church  of  England,  know- 
ing, as  all  her  ministers  now  do,  that  no  further  reforma- 
tion is  so  much  as  to  be  mooted, — nay,  that  it  must  not 
be  so  much  as  acknowledged  that  it  is  required-?  He 
knows  neither  the  constitution  of  the  Church  of  England, 
nor  the  character  of  the  reformers,  who  hesitates  for  one 
moment  to  answer,  and  with  the  most  marked  emphasis, 
they  ivould  not. 

And  what  a  lesson  of  solemn  warning  do  the  conse- 
quences of  a  compromise  of  principles,  as  seen  in  the  sub- 

*  See  a  painful  letter  on  this  subject  from  Sampson  to  Grindal. 
Strype's  Parker,  ii.  376,  377. 

47 


44  THE   ANGLICAN    REFORMATION. 

sequent  history  of  the  Church  of  England,  read  to  our  own 
ministers  in  their  present  arduous  struggle !  The  second 
set  of  bishops  appointed  by  Elizabeth  were,  without  a  single 
exception,  men  of  more  Erastian  sentiments,  of  more  lax 
theology,  of  more  Popish  tendencies,  than  their  predeces- 
sors. The  first  prelates  had  been  trained  amid  the  ad- 
vancing reformation  of  Edward,  and  among  the  Presbyte- 
rians on  the  continent,  and  had  imbibed  the  sentiments  of 
their  associates.  But  their  successors  had  been  trained  in 
the  Church  of  England,  and  bore  the  impress  of  her  char- 
acter. And  such  would  also  be  the  case  in  our  own 
Church,  were  our  ministers,  by  an  unhallowed  submission, 
to  yield  to  the  antichristian  invasion  of  the  Church's  rights 
and  liberties  now  attempted.  To  these  our  ministers,  God 
has  committed  a  glorious  cause.  May  they  be  found 
worthy  to  maintain  it.  Their  deeds  are  before  men  and 
angels.  Future  historians  shall  record  their  acts,  and  in- 
scribe their  names  in  the  glorious  muster-roll  of  martyrs 
and  confessors,  or  denounce  them  to  eternal  infamy. 
We  shall  watch  their  proceedings  with  an  interest  which 
the  shock  of  armed  empires  would  not  excite  in  our  bosoms, 
and,  by  God's  grace,  shall  lend  our  aid  to  make  known  to 
posterity  how  they  have  fought  the  good  fight  and  kept  the 
faith.  The  arena  of  their  struggle  may  appear  obscure 
and  contracted.  But  it  is  the  Thermopylae  of  Christen- 
dom. On  them,  and  on  their  success,  under  God,  it  de- 
pends, whether  worse  than  Asiatic  barbarism  and  despotism 
are  to  overwhelm  Europe,  or  light,  and  life,  and  liberty, 
to  become  the  birthright  of  the  nations.  May  the  Captain 
of  the  host  of  Israel  ever  march  forward  at  their  head. 
May  the  blue  banner  of  the  covenant,  unstained  by  one 
blot,  be  victorious  in  their  hands,  as  it  was  of  yore.  May 
the  sword  of  the  Lord,  and  of  Gideon,  now  unsheathed, 
never  return  to  its  scabbard,  until  the  Church  of  Scotland 
shall  have  vindicated  her  rights,  and  established  her  liber- 
ties on  an  immovable  basis.  No  surrender  !  No  compro- 
mise !  Better  the  mountain  side,  like  our  fathers,  and 
freedom  of  communion  with  our  God,  than  an  Erastian 
establishment,  which  would  no  longer  be  a  Church, — 
than  a  sepulchral  temple,  from  which  the  living  God  had 
fled. 

We  return  from  this  digression,  (for  which  we  make  no 
apology, — we  would  despise  the  man  that  would  require  it,) 
to  relate  the  internal  condition  of  the  Church  of  England  at 
and  after  the  accession  of  Elizabeth. 
48 


THE  ANGLICAN  REFORMATION.  45 

One  fact  will  prove,  to  every  man  who  regards  "  Christ 
crucified  as  the  power  of  God  and  the  wisdom  of  God  unto 
salvation,"  that  the  Church  of  England  was  at  this  time  in 
the  most  wretched  condition  imaginable,  both  moral  and 
spiritual.  Of  nine  thousand  four  hundred  clergymen,  of 
all  grades,  then  beneficed  in  that  Church,  and  all,  of  course. 
Papists,  being  the  incumbents  of  Mary's  reign,  only  one 
hundred  and  ninety-two,  of  whom  only  eighty  were  paro- 
chial, resigned  their  livings ;  the  rest,  as  much  Papists  as 
ever,  and  now,  in  addition,  unblushing  hypocrites,  who 
subscribed  what  they  did  not  believe,  and  submitted  to 
what  they  could  not  approve,  remained  in  their  cures,  and 
became  the  ministers  of  the  Protestant  (?)  Church  of  Eng- 
land.* We  should  do  these  nine  thousand  two  hundred 
and  eight  who  remained  in  their  cures,  an  honour  to  which 
they  have  no  claim,  were  we  to  compare  them  to  the 
most  ignorant,  scandalous,  and  profligate  priesthood  at 
present  in  Europe.  Many  of  them  did  not  understand  the 
offices  they  had  been  accustomed  to  "  mumble"  at  the 
altar.  Some  of  them  could  not  sign  their  names,  or  even 
read  the  English  liturgy.  Yet  into  the  hands  of  these  men 
did  Elizabeth  and  her  prelates  commit  the  immortal  souls 
of  the  people  of  England.  And  if  at  any  time  the  people, 
shocked  at  the  immoralities  and  papistry  of  their  parish 
priest,  attended  ordinances  under  some  more  Protestant 
minister  in  the  neighbourhood,  they  were  compelled,  by 
fines  and  imprisonment,  to  return  to  their  own  parish 
church. 

When  in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  several  of  thcvse 
papistico-protestant  priests  had  died,  and  others  of  them 
had  fled  out  of  the  kingdom,  there  were  no  properly  quali- 
fied ministers  to  replace  them.  Patrons  sold  the  benefices 
to  laymen,  retaining  the  best  part  of  the  fruits  in  their  own 
hands.  Thus  the  parishes  remained  vacant.  Strype, 
speaking  of  the  state  of  the  diocese  of  Bangor  in  1565, 
says,  "  As  for  Bangor,  that  diocese  was  much  out  of  order, 
there  being  no  preaching  used."  And  two  years  -after- 
wards  the  bishop  wrote  to  Parker,  that  "  he  had  but  two 
preachers  in  his  whole  diocese,"  the  livings  being  in  the 

*  The  following  is  Strype's  list  of  those  who  resigned, — viz.,  14 
bishops,  18  deans,  14  archdeacons,  15  heads  of  colleges,  50  pre- 
bendaries, 80  rectors,  6  abbots,  priors,  and  abbesses,  in  all  192. 
Annals,  i.  106.  Burnet,  ii.  620,  makes  them  only  189.  Collier, 
vi.  p.  252,  following,  as  is  his  wont,  Popish  authorities,  when 
they  can  add  credit  to  their  own  Church,  makes  them  about  250. 
E  49 


46  THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION, 

hands  of  laymen.*  In  1562  Parkhurst  of  Norwich  wrote 
Parker,  in  answer  to  the  inquiries  of  the  privy  council, 
that  in  his  diocese  there  were  434  parish  churches  vacant, 
and  that  many  chapels  of  ease  had  fallen  into  ruins. +  Cox 
of  Ely,  in  1560,  wrote  the  archbishop,  that  in  his  diocese 
there  were  150  cures  of  all  sorts,  of  which  only  "  52  were 
duly  served," — many  of  them,  of  course,  only  b.y  readers, 
— 34  were  vacant,  13  had  neither  rector  nor  vicar,  and  57 
were  possessed  by  non-residents.  "  So  pitiable  and  to  be 
lamented,"  exclaims  Cox,  "  is  the  face  of  this  diocese ; 
and  if,  in  other  places,  it  be  so  too,"  (and  so  it  was,) 
"most  miserable  indeed  is  the  condition  of  the  Church  of 
England,"!  We  never  can  think  of  the  condition  of  Eng- 
land,— when  thus  darkness  covered  the  earth,  and  thick 
darkness  the  people,  and  when,  emphatically,  the  blind 
led  the  blind, — without  admiring  gratitude  to  that  God  who 
did  not  altogether  remove  his  candlestick,  and  leave  the 
whole  nation  to  perish,  through  the  crimes  of  their  rulers, 
civil  and  ecclesiastical. 

In  order  to  keep  the  churches  open,  and  afford  even  the 
semblance  of  public  worship  to  the  people,  the  prelates 
were  compelled  to  license,  as  readers,  a  set  of  illiterate 
mechanics,  who  were  able  to  read  through  the  prayers 
without  spelling  the  hard  words. §  The  people,  however, 
could  not  endure  these  immoral,  base-born,  illiterate  read- 
ers ;  and  then,  as  if  the  mere  act  of  ordination  could  confer 
upon  them  all  the  requisite  qualifications,  "  not  a  few  me- 
chanics, altogether  as  unlearned  as  the  most  objectionable 
of  those  ejected,  were  preferred  to  dignities  and  livings. "|1 
The  scheme,  however  politic,  failed,  through  the  indecorous 
manners,  and  the  immoral  lives,  and  the  gross  ignorance, 
of  these  upstart  priests.^  And  then  an  order  was  issued 
to  the  bishop  of  London  to  ordain  no  more  mechanics, 
because  of  the  scandals  they  had  brought  upon  religion  ;** 
but  the  necessity  of  the  case  compelled  the  provincial 
bishops  still  to  employ  lay  readers,  and  ordain  mechanics 
to  read  the  prayers. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  England  when  Parker,  partly 
goaded  on  by  the  queen,  and  partly  by  his  own  sullen 
despotism,  commenced  a  course    of  persecutions,  suspen- 


*  Strype's  Parker,  i.  404,  509.  §  Strype's  An.  i.  202,  203. 

t  Strype's  An.  i.  539,  510.  ||  Collier,  vi.  264. 

+  Strype's  Parker,  i.  143,  144.  ^  Strype's  Parker,  i.  180. 

**  Strype's  Grindal,  GO.  Collier,  vi.  313. 
50 


THE  ANGLICAN  REFORMATION.  47 

sions,  and  silencing  against  the  Puritans,  who  were  the 
only  preachers  in  the  kingdom.  In  January  1564,  eight 
were  suspended  in  the  diocese  of  London.  It  was  hoped 
that  this  example  would  overawe  the  rest,  and  three  months 
afterwards  the  London  clergy  were  summoned  again  to 
subscribe  to  the  canons,  and  conform  to  all  the  usages  of 
the  Church  of  England ;  but  thirty  refused,  and  were,  of 
course,  suspended.*  A  respite  of  eight  months  was  given 
to  the  rest ;  and  then  in  January  1565  they  were  cited, 
and  thirty-seven  having  refused  to  subscribe,  were  sus- 
pended.! These,  as  we  may  wfeU  believe,  were,  even  in 
the  estimation  of  Parker  himself,  and,  indeed,  as  he  ac- 
knowledged, the  best  men  and  the  ablest  preachers  in  the 
diocese.:):  The  insults  offered,  and  the  cruelties  inflicted 
upon  these  men,  would,  had  we  space  to  detail  them, 
intensate  the  indignation  of  our  readers  against  their  ruth- 
less persecutors. 

The  silencing  of  such  preachers,  and  the  consequent 
desolation  in  the  Church  excited  the  attention  of  the  nation. 
All  men  who  had  any  regard  for  the  ordinances  of  God, 
were  shocked  at  the  pi'oceedings  of  the  primate,  and  bitter 
complaints  were  made  of  him  to  the  privy  council.  Eliza- 
beth herself  ordered  Cecil  to  write  him  on  the  subject. 
Parker  sullenly  replied,  that  this  was  nothing  more  than 
he  had  foreseen  from  the  first,  and  that  when  the  queen 
had  ordered  him  to  press  uniformity,  "  he  had  told  her, 
that  these  precise  folks  would  offer  their  goods,  and  even 
their  bodies  to  prison,  rather  than  they  would  relent. "§ 
And  yet  Parker,  who  could  anticipate  their  conduct,  could 
neither  appreciate  their  conscientiousness,  nor  respect  their 
firmness. 

The  persecutions  commenced  in  London  soon  spread 
over  the  whole  kingdom.  We  have  already  seen  the  most 
destitute  condition  of  the  diocese  of  Norwich,  in  which 
four  hundred  and  thirty-four  parish  churches  were  vacant, 
and  many  chapels  of  ease  fallen  into  ruins.  Will  it  be 
credited,  that  in  these  circumstances  thirty-six  ministers, 
almost  the  whole  preaching  ministers  in  the  diocese,  were, 
in  one  day,  suspended,  for  refusing  subscription  to  the  anti- 
christian  impositions  of  the  prelates  ?||  This  is  but  a  speci- 
men of  what  took  place  throughout  the  kingdom.  And 
when  the  people,  having   no  pastor  to  teach   them,  met 

*  Strype's  Grindal,  144,  146.  f  Ibid.  154. 

\  Strype's  Parker,  i.  429.         §  Ibid.  i.  448.         |1  Ibid.  ii.  341. 

51 


48  THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION. 

together  to  read  the  Scriptures,  forthwith  a  thundering  edict 
came  down  from  the  primate,  threatening  them  with  fines 
and  imprisonment  if  they  dared  to  pray  together  or  read 
the  word  of  God.  In  a  certain  small  village  a  revival  took 
place,  under  the  ministrations  of  a  reader,  so  illiterate  that 
he  could  not  sign  his  own  name.  As  always  happens  under 
such  circumstances,  the  people  formed  fellowship  meet- 
ings. No  sooner  was  this  known  than  they  were  sum- 
moned to  answer  for  such  violations  of  canonical  order. 
In  a  simple  memorial,  which  would  melt  a  heart  of  stone, 
these  pious  peasants  stated  to  the  inquisitors,  that  they  only 
met  together  in  the  evenings,  after  the  work  of  the  day 
was  over,  to  devote  the  time  they  formerly  misspent  in 
drinking  and  sin,  to  the  worship  of  God  and  the  reading 
of  his  word.  Their  judges  were  deaf  to  their  petitions  and 
representations,  and  forbade  them  absolutely  to  meet  any 
longer  for  such  purposes,  leaving  it  to  be  inferred,  by  no 
far-fetched  deductions,  that  a  man  might  violate  the  laws 
of  God,  with  impunity ;  but  woe  be  unto  him  that  should 
break  the  injunctions  of  the  prelates.* 

And  what  was  the  crime  for  which  these  Puritans  were 
suspended,  sequestered,  firjed,  imprisoned,  and  some  of 
them  put  to  death?  Simply  because  they  would  not 
acknowledge  that  man,  whether  prelate,  primate,  or  prince, 
has  authority  to  alter  the  constitution  of  God's  Church,  to 
prescribe  rites  and  modes  of  "  will-worship,"  and  adminis- 
tration of  sacraments,  different  from  what  He  had  appoint- 
ed in  his  word.  Nothing  but  gross  ignorance,  or  grosser 
dishonesty,  will  lead  any  man  to  say,  as  has  been  said, 
and  continues  to  be  said  down  to  this  day,  and  that  not  by 
ministers  of  the  Church  of  England  alone,  but  by  others  of 
whom  better  things  might  be  expected,*)"  that  the  Puritans 
refused  to  remain  in  their  ministry  merely  because  of  the 
imposition  of  "  square  caps,  copes,  and  surplices  ;"  or  even, 
which  are  of  higher  moment,  because  of  the  "  cross  in 
baptism,"  and  kneeling  at  the  communion-;  these  things 
being  considered  simply  in  themselves.  What  they  con- 
demned and  resisted  was  the  principle,  that  man  has 
authority  to  alter  the  economy  of  God's  house.  "  Consid- 
ering, therefore,"  said  the  ministers  of  London,  in  1565, 
in  a  defence  they  published  of  their  own  conduct,  "  con- 

»  Strype's  Parker,  ii.  381—5. 

f  See  Orme's  Life  of  Owen,  commented  on  by  Dr.  McCrie  in 
his  Miscellaneous  Works,  pp.  465,  466. 
52 


THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION.  49 

sidering,  therefore,  that  at  this  time,  by  admitting  the  out- 
ward apparel,  and  ministering  garments  of  the"  Pope's 
Church,  not  only  the  Christian  liberty  should  be  manifestly 
infringed,  but  the  whole  religion  of  Christ  would  be  brought 
to  be  esteemed  no  other  thing  than  the  pleasure  of  princes, 
they  (the  London  ministers)  thought  it  their  duty,  being 
ministers  of  God's  word  and  sacraments,  utterly  to  refuse" 
to  submit  to  the  required  impositions.  But  if  the  prelates 
were  determined  to  proceed  in  their  infatuated  career,  then 
these  enlightened  servants  of  God  professed  their  willing- 
ness "  to  submit  themselves  to  any  punishment  the  laws 
did  appoint,  that  so  they  might  teach  by  their  example 
true  obedience  both  to  God  and  man,  and  yet  to  keep 
the  Christian  liberty  sound,  and  show  the  Christian  reli- 
gion to  be  such,  that  no  prince  or  potentate  might  alter  the 
same."  * 

When  Sampson  and  Humphreys  were  required  to  sub- 
scribe and  submit  to  the  prescribed  impositions,  they  re- 
fused upon  the  following,  among  other  accounts  : — "  If," 
they  said,  "  we  should  grant  to  wear  priests'  apparel,  then 
it  might  and  would  be  required  at  our  hands  to  have 
shaven  crowns,  and  to  receive  more  Papistical  abuses. 
Therefore  it  is  best,  at  the  first,  not  to  wear  priests'  appa- 
rel."f  It  was  the  principle  involved  in  these  impositions 
they  opposed.  And  well  are  we  assured,  that  had  it  not 
been  for  the  resistance  to  the  first  attempts  to  enslave  the 
conscience,  which  were  made  by  these  glorious  confessors 
and  martyrs,  other  and  still  more  hateful  abuses  of  Popery 
would  have  teen  perpetuated  in  the  Anglican  Church. 
Only  grant  the  principle,  that  man  has  the  right  to  make 
such  impositions,  and  where  is  the  application  of  the  prin- 
ciple to  find  its  limit  ? 

And  as  to  the  stale  objection,  that  these  men  relinquished 
their  ministry  for  frivolous  rites  and  habits,  it  is  enough  to 
reply,  that  the  objection  is  not  founded  upon  truth. 

"  As  touching  that  point,"  (the  habits,)  says  Cartwright, 
"  whether  the  minister  should  wear  it,  although  it  be 
inconvenient ;  the  truth  is,  that  I  dare  not  be  author  to 
any  to  forsake  his  pastoral  charge  for  the  inconvenience 
thereof,  considering  that  this  charge  (the  ministry)  being 
an  absolute  commandment  of  the  Lord,  ought  not  to  be 
laid  aside  for  a  simple  inconvenience  or  uncomeliness  of 

*  Apud  Strype's  An.  ii.  166,  167.        f  Strype's  Parker,  i.  340. 
e2  5  53 


50  THE  ANGLICAN  REFOBMATION. 

a  thing  which,  in  its  own  nature,  is  indifferent.  .  .  .  When 
it  is  laid  in  the  scales  with  the  preaching  of  the  word  of 
God,  which  is  so  necessary  to  him  who  is  called  thereunto, 
that  a  woe  hangcth  on  his  head  if  he  do  not  preach  it ;  it 
is  of  less  importance  than  for  the  refusal  of  it  we  should  let 
go  so  necessary  a  duty."  * 

We  might  challenge  their  accusers,  whether  Brownist  or 
Prelatist,  to  show  us  sentiments  more  enlightened  or  more 
consistently  maintained,  since  the  world  began. 

We  have  said  so  much  upon  this  point,  because  we  do 
not  mean  at  present  to  enter  upon  a  formal  defence  of  the 
Puritans,  although  we  may,  perchance,  do  so  elsewhere, 
and  at  greater  length,  hereafter,  if  God  spare  us.  We 
have  done  this  also  to  prevent  our  readers  from  being 
carried  away  by  the  oft-repeated  libels  of  pert  preten- 
ders to  liberality,  or  of  servile  conformists  to  hierarchical 
impositions,  against  the  best  men  that  England  has  ever 
produced. 

The  universities  did  little  or  nothing  to  provide  minis- 
ters for  the  necessities  of  the  times.  The  condition  of 
Oxford  at  the  accession  of  Elizabeth  was  deplorable  in  the 
extreme. t  In  1563,  Sampson,  Humphreys,  and  Kings- 
mill,  three  Puritans,  were  the  only  ministers  who  could 
preach,  resident  in  Oxford  ;f  and  as  if  to  deliver  over  that 
university  to  the  unrestrained  sway  of  Popery,  the  two 
former  were  ejected,  while  Papists  swarmed  in  all  the 
colleges.  In  one  college,  (Exeter,)  in  1578,  out  of  eighty 
resident  members,  there  were  only  four  professed  Protes- 
tants.§  Whenever  a  Puritan  was  discovered,  he  was 
instantly  expelled;  but  never,  —  so  far  as  we  could  dis- 
cover, and  we  paid  attention  to  the  point,  never,  for  mere 
Popery,  was  one  Papist  ejected,  from  either  cure  or  college, 
throughout  the  whole  reign  of  Elizabeth.  Oxford  con- 
tinued thus  the  stronghold  of  Popery ;  and  instead  of  pro- 
viding ministers  for  the  Church  of  England,  it  provided 
members  for  Popish  colleges  "  beyond  the  seas."||  It  is 
instructive,  not  less  to  the  statesman  and  the  philosopher, 
than  to  the  divine,  to  find  the  self-propagating  power  of 
error,  and  the  tendency  to  conserve  corruption,  which  has 

*  Rest  of  Second  Replie  to  Whhgift,.ed.  1577,  p.  262. 
f  See  Jewell's  Letters  to  Bullinger  and  Peter  Martyr  on  the 
State  of  Oxford;  Burnet's  Records,  bk.  vi..48,  56. 

i  SLrype's  Parker,  i.  313.  <§  Strype's  An.  ii.  196,  197. 

II  Ibid.  390,  391. 
54 


THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION.  51 

been  manifested  in  that  celebrated  seat  of  learning.  When- 
ever Popery  is  assailed,  it  uniformly  finds  a  safe  retreat  in 
Oxford. 

In  the  reign  of  Edward,  Cambridge  had  received  a  larger 
diffusion  of  the  gospel  than  the  rival  university.  Almost 
all  the  first  prelates  of  Elizabeth  had  been  educated  on  the 
banks  of  the  Cam,  and  all  the  principal  preachers  of  the 
same  period  had  been  trained  in  the  same  place.  Cam- 
bridge, in  fact,  along  with  London,  was  the  head  quarters 
of  Puritanism,  not  less  among  the  undergraduates,  than 
the  heads  and  members.  From  a  faculty  which  had  been 
granted  by  the  Pope  to  that  university,  to  license  twelve 
preachers  annually,  who  might  officiate  in  any  part  of  the 
kingdom,  without  having  their  licenses  countersigned  by 
the  prelates,  Cambridge  seemed  destined  to  be  the  salva- 
tion of  England.  The  Protestant  prelates,  however,  could 
not  tolerate  a  license  to  preach,  which  even  their  Popish 
predecessors  had  patronized,  and  never  ceased  until  they 
had  deprived  Cambridge  of  its  privilege.  Not  satisfied 
with  this  prevention  of  preaching,  Parker  and  his  successor 
determined  to  root  out  Puritanism  from  its  stronghold ; 
and  as  they  had  silenced  its  preachers  in  London,  so  they 
silenced  its  professors  at  Cambridge.  Cartwright,  John- 
son, Dering,  Brown,  Wilcox,  and  their  fellows,  were 
expelled,  some  of  them  imprisoned,  and  some  of  them 
driven  into  banishment.  The  salt  being  thus  removed, 
the  body  sunk  into  partial  corruption.  Of  Cambridge, 
however,  it  is  right  that  it  should  be  recorded,  that  what- 
ever of  Protestantism  England  possesses,  it  owes  to  that 
university.  How  singular  it  is,  that  after  the  lapse  of  three 
centuries,  the  two  English  universities  should,  at  this  day, 
retain  the  distinguishing  features  which  characterized  them 
at  the  Reformation. 

In  order  to  supply  as  much  as  they  possibly  could  some 
instructors  for  their  parishes,  the  Anglican  prelates  estab- 
lished in  their  diocese  what  was  called  "  prophesyings," 
or  "  exercises,"  that  is,  monthly  or  weekly  meetings  of 
the  clergy  for  mutual  instruction  in  theology  and  pulpit 
ministrations ;  and  the  plan  was  found  to  work  so  admi- 
rably, that,  as  Grindal  told  the  queen  in  1576,  when  she 
commanded  him  to  suppress  the  prophesyings,  and  di- 
minish the  number  of  preachers,  "  where  afore  were  not 
three  able  preachers,  now  are  thirty  meet  to  preach  at 
Paul's   Cross,  and  forty  or  fifty  besides  able  to  instruct 

55 


52  THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION. 

their  own  cures."  *  The  prophesyings,  however,  were 
suppressed,  and  the  people  left  to  perish  for  lack  of  know- 
ledge. On  a  survey  of  the  condition  of  England  at  the 
time,  nothing  can  more  strongly  convince  a  pious  mind  of 
the  superintendence  of  a  gracious  Providence,  than  that 
the  kingdom  did  not  sink  into  heathenism,  or  at  least  re- 
main altogether  Popish. 

The  moral  character  of  the  Anglican  priesthood  was  of 
a  piece  with  their  ignorance  and  Popish  tendencies.  This 
subject  is  so  disgusting,  and  the  disclosures  we  could  make 
so  shocking,  that  we  hesitate  whether  it  were  not  better  to 
pass  by  the  subject  in  total  silence.  We  may  give  an 
instance  or  two,  however,  as  a  specimen  of  what  was  the 
almost  universal  condition  of  this  clergy,  and  our  speci- 
mens are  by  no  means  the  worst  we  could  adduce.  San- 
dys of  Worcester,  in  his  first  visitation  in  1560,  found  in 
the  city  of  Worcester,  five  or  six  priests,"  who  kept  five 
or  six  whores  a-piece."")"  And  were  they  suspended? 
Our  author  gives  not  one  single  hint  that  they  were.  But 
had  they  preached  the  gospel  at  uncanonical  hours,  or 
saved  sinners  in  uncanonical  garments,  they  would  not 
only  have  been  deposed,  but  fined,  imprisoned,  and  perhaps 
banished  or  even  put  to  death.  The  laws  of  God  might 
be  violated  with  impunity,  but  woe  unto  him  who  broke 
the  laws  of  Elizabeth  and  Parker.  Again,  in  1559,  at  a 
commission  appointed  to  visit  the  province  of  York,  com- 
prising the  whole  of  the  north  and  east  of  England,  with 
the  diocese  of  Chester,  which  includes  Lancashire,  "the 
presentments,"  that  is,  the  informations  lodged  against  the 
incumbents,  "  were  most  frequent,  almost  in  every  parish, 
about  fornication,  and  keeping  other  women  besides  their 
wives,  and  for  having  bastard  children.":}:  «  As  to  Bangor, 
that  diocese  was  much  out  of  order,  there  being  no  preach- 
ing used,  and  pensionary  concubinacy  openly  continued, 
which  was  an  allowance  of  concubinacy  to  the  clergy  by 
paying  a  pension  (to  the  bishop  or  his  court,)  notwithstand- 
ing the  liberty  of  marriage  granted."  And  Parker  him- 
self was  openly  charged  with  having  "  such  a  commis- 
sioner there  as  openly  kept  three  concubines. "§  This,  let 
it  be  noticed,  was  not  a  libel  by  "  Martin  Marprelate,"  but 

*  Strype's  Grindal,  Rec.  B.  ii.  No.  9,  p.  568.  We  recommend 
to  our  readers  to  peruse  the  whole  of  that  noble  letter,  the  noblest 
that  was  ever  addressed  to  Elizabeth. 

t  Strype's  Parker,  i.  156.  +  Strype's  An.  i.  246. 

§  Strype's  Parker,  i.  404. 
56 


THE  ANGLICAN  REFORMATION.  53 

an  official  report  from  a  royal  commission  presented  to 
the  privy  council.  While  Puritans  crowded  every  pestifer- 
ous jail  in  the  kingdom  for  merely  preaching  the  truth 
as  it  is  in  Jesus,  these  infamous  priests  filled  every  parish 
in  England.  Let  any  man  assert  that  we  have  given  the 
only,  or  the  most  scandalous  instances  we  could  rake  up 
from  the  polluted  sewer  of  the  early  Anglican  Church  his- 
tory, and  we  shall  give  him  references  to  fifty  times  as 
many  more ;  for  we  decline  polluting .  our  pages  with  such 
abandoned  profligacy. 

One  of  the  most  fruitful  sources  of  these  enormous  evils 
under  which  the  Church  of  England  at  this  time  groaned, 
was  that  prolific  mother  of  all  corruption,  patronage^ 
which  has  never  existed  in  a  Church  without  corrupting 
it.  In  1584,  "  a  person  of  eminency  in  the  Church"  gives 
a  fearful  picture  of  the  evils  which  "  the  devil  and 
corrupt  patrons"  had  occasioned  to  the  Anglican  estab- 
lishment. "  For  patrons  now-a-days,"  he  says,  "  search 
not  the  universities  for  most  fit  pastors,  but  they  post 
up  and  down  the  country  for  a  most  gainful  chapman ; 
he  that  hath  the  biggest  purse  to  pay  largely,  not  he 
that  hath  the  best  gifts  to  preach  learnedly  is  pre- 
sented." * 

The  bishops  were  just  as  corrupt  in  the  disposal  of  the 
benefices  in  their  gift  as  the  lay  patrons.  Curtes  of  Chi- 
chester, for  example,  was  charged  by  several  gentlemen 
and  justices  of  peace  of  his  dioceSe,  among  other  malver- 
sations of  office,  with  keeping  benefices  in  his  gift  long 
vacant,  that  he  might  himself  pocket  the  fruits,  and  selling 
his  advowsons  to  the  highest  bidder.!  After  a  visitation 
of  his  province,  Parker  writes  Lady  Bacon,  that  "  to  sell 
and  to  buy  benefices,  to  fleece  parsonages  and  vicarages, 
was  come  to  that  pass,  that  omnia  sunt  "venalia  /"  that 
all  ranks  were  guilty  of  the  practice,  "  so  far,  that  some 
one  knight  had  four  or  five,  and  others,  seven  or  eight 
benefices  clouted  together,"  and  retained  in  their  own 
hands,  the  parishes  all  the  while  being  vacant ;  while 
others  again  set  boys  and  servants  "  to  bear  the  names  of 
such  livings,"  and  others  again  bargained  them  away  at  a 
fixed  sum  per  year.  "  And,"  he  adds,  "  this  kind  of  doing 
was  common  in  all  the  country.":}: 

*  Strype's  An.  ii.  146.     Ibid.  Whitgift,  i.  368.         f  Ibid.  117. 
\  Strype's  Parker,  i.  495 — 8.     By  the  22d  apostolical  canon,  the 
2d  council  of  Chalcedon,  and  the  22d  Trullan  canon,  Siraonists, 
5*  57 


54  THE  ANGLICAN  REFORMATION. 

When  the  Simonists  came  for  orders  or  institution,  they 
sometimes  were  rejected  by  the  more  conscientious  pre- 
lates, on  account,  not  indeed  of  their  Simony,  which,  so 
far  as  we  have  noticed,  never  happened,  but  on  account  of 
their  gross  ignorance  and  scandalous  lives.  But  the  pat- 
rons, and  these  dutiful  sons  of  the  Church,  anticipating  by 
three  centuries,  the  practices  with  which  we  are,  alas,  but 
too  familiar  in  our  own  day,  were  not  thus  to  be  defrauded 
of  their  "  vested  rights"  and  "  patrimonial  interests." 
They  commenced  suits  in  the  civil  courts,  and  harassed 
the  bishops  with  the  terrors  of  a  quare  impedit^  and  of  a 
prcemiinire.  They  did  not  always,  however,  put  them- 
selves to  that  trouble.  Some  of  the  presentees  at  once 
took  possession  of  their  benefices  without  waiting  for  orders, 
(as  we  shall  by  and  by  show,)  and  set  themselves  to  read 
prayers,  and  administer  quasi  sacraments,  or  what  was 
much  more  congenial  to  their  tastes,  to  cultivate  their 
glebes ;  varying  the  monotony  of  attending  "  farmers' 
dinners"  by  occasional  other  indulgences  much  less 
"  moderate." 

In  consequence  of  this  state  of  matters,  pluralities  and 
non-residence  became  universal.  Nor  could  it  well  be 
otherwise  when  the  prelates  set  such  examples  as  that  we 
are  about  to  adduce  before  men  by  no  means  disinclined 
to  follow  them.  VVe  could  show  several  examples  of 
pluralism  such  as  never,  we  are  persuaded,  was  witnessed 
in  any  other  Church.  The  case  of  the  following  Jacobus 
de  Voragine,  however,  may  stand  for  all.  From  the 
frequency  and  the  urgency  of  the  complaints  that  came 
up  to  the  privy  council  regarding  the  state  of  the  diocese 
of  St.  Asaph,  a  commission  was  appointed  in  1587  to  visit 
it.  The  visitors,  on  their  return,  laid  the  following  report 
before  the  high  commission  court,  viz.  that  "  most  of  the 
great  livings  within  the  diocese,  some  with  cure  of  souls 
and  some  without  cure,  are  either  holden  by  the  bishop 
(Flughes)  himself  in  commendam^^  or  by  non-residents, 
the  most  of  whom  were  laymen,  civilians,  or  lawyers  in 
the  archbishop's  court,  through  which  dispensations  to 
hold  commcndams  were  obtained.  The  prelate  kept  to  his 
own  share  sixteen  of  the  richest  benefices.     Fourteen  of 

if  prelates,  or  priests,  or  deacons,  were  to  be  deposed  and  excom- 
municated. Pray,  what  becomes  of  the  "apostolical  succession" 
in  the  Church  of  England,  if  these  canons  are  held  valid  1  And 
if  the  canons  are  rejected,  pray,  on  what  other  foundation  does 
the  Church  of  England  stand  1 
58 


THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION.  55 

the  same  class  were  held  by  the  civil  lawyers,  of  course, 
as  fees  for  granting  him  dispensations  to  hold  the  rest. 
There  was  not  a  single  preacher  within  the  diocese,  the 
"  lord  bishop  only  excepted,"  but  three.  One  of  the  resi- 
dent pluralists  holding  three  benefices,  two  of  them  .among 
the  richest  in  the  diocese,  kept  neither  "  house  nor  hospi- 
tality," but  lived  in  an  ale  house.  The  prelate  also  sold 
(some  on  behoof  of  his  wife,  some  on  that  of  his  children, 
and  some  on  his  own)  most,  if  not  all,  the  livings  in  his 
gift,  besides  those  reserved  in  his  own  hands.  He  would 
grant  the  tithes  of  any  living  to  any  person  who  would 
pay  for  them,  reserving  for  the  support  of  an  incumbent 
what  would  not  maintain  a  mechanic :  in  consequence  of 
which  the  parishes  remained  vacant.  In  his  visitations  he 
would  compel  the  clergy,  besides  the  customary  "  pro- 
curations," as  they  are  called,  (that  is,  an  assessment 
upon  the  clergy  to  pay  the  ordinary  expenses  of  a  prelate 
during  a  visitation  through  his  diocese,)  to  pay  also  for  all 
his  train.* 

Our  readers  will  not  be  surprised  to  hear  that  this 
wholesale  dealer  in  tithes  and  benefices  was  amassing  a 
handsome  fortune  and  purchasing  large  estates,  besides 
dealing  in  mortgages  and  other  profitable  speculations. 
But  they  will  be  surprised  to  hear  that  no  coynmendmn 
could  be  held  without  a  dispensation  from  the  archbishop's 
court,  and  that  while  hundreds  of  parishes  throughout 
England  were  vacant  for  want  of  ministers  to  supply  them, 
and  while  hundreds  more  were  so  poor  that  they  could  not 
support  a  minister,']'  Parker  was  accustomed  to  grant  dis- 
pensations to  prelates  to  hold  commendams,  for  the  purpose 

*  Strype's  An.  iii.  435,  436,  and  iv.  Ap.  No.  32. 

■j-  There  are  in  England  4543  livings,  if  livings  they  can  he 
called,  nnder  £10.  See  an  extract  from  a  document  from  the  state 
paper  office  on  the  value  of  all  the  benefices  in  England  in  Collier 
ix.  Rec.  No.  99.  "  The  Church  of  England  probably  stands  alone," 
says  Bishop  Short,  "in  latter  times  as  exhibiting  instances  of 
ecclesiastical  offices  unprovided  with  any  temporal  support." 
Sketch,  &c.  p.  188.  "The  extreme  poverty  which  has  been 
entailed  on  many  of  our  livings,"  he  says  again,  "is  one  of  the 
greatest  evils  which  afflicts  our  Church  property,"  p.  509.  •  And 
he  says  elsewhere,  that  if  it  were  not  for  the  number  of  persons 
of  independent  fortune  who  take  orders  in  the  Church  of  England, 
(allured  of  course  by  the  highest  prizes,)  many  of  the  cures  must 
remain  vacant.  The  manner  in  which  the  Church  of  England, 
and  our  own  Church  also,  were  pillaged  at  the  Reformation  by 
our  benevolent  friends  the  patrons,  is  an  inviting  subject  for  a 
dissertation,  but  we  must  not  enter  upon  it  here. 

69 


56  THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION. 

of  being  able  to  maintain  wbat  he  so  much  loved  and  com- 
mended to  others,  viz.,  "  the  port  of  a  bishop  ;"*  and  they 
may  also  be  surprised,  that  is  to  say,  if  they  are  not  so  well 
acquainted  with  the  primate  as  we  happen  to  be,  when  we 
tell  them  that  Parker  was  paid  a  sort  of  per  centage  upon 
all  these  dispensations  ;  not  that  we  insinuate  that  this  had 
any  share  in  inducing  him  to  grant  them,  although  his  own 
maintenance  of  the  "  port  of  bishop"  entailed  upon  him  no 
trifling  expense.^ 

Our  readers  will  now  be  prepared  to  receive  the  follow- 
ing account  of  the  state  of  the  Church  and  kingdom  of 
England,  drawn  up  by  the  industrious  Strype|  from  the 
papers  of  Cecil : — 

"  The  state  of  the  Church  and  religion  at  this  time  (1572) 

was  but  low  and  sadly  neglected The  churchmen 

heaped  up  many  benefices  upon  themselves  and  resided 
upon  none,  neglecting  their  cures.  Many  of  them  alien- 
ated their  lands ;  made  unreasonable  leases  and  wastes  of 
their  woods ;  granted  reversions  and  advowsons  to  their 
wives  and  children,  or  to  others  for  their  use.  Churches 
ran  greatly  into   dilapidation   and   decay,  and  were   kept 

nasty  and  filthy,  and  indecent  for  God's  worship 

Among  the  laity  there  was  little  devotion ;  the  Lord's  day 
greatly  profaned  and  little  observed ;  the  common  prayers 
not  frequented  ;  some  lived  without  any  service  of  God  at 
all ;  many  were  mere  heathens  and  atheists  ;  the  queen's 
own  court  an  harbour  for  epicures  and  atheists,  and  a  kind 
of  lawless  place  because  it  stood  in  no  parish ;  —  which 
things  made  good  men  fear  some  bad  judgments  impend- 
ing over  the  nation." 

And  yet  ministers  of  the  Church  of  England  can  find  no 
terms  sufficiently  strong  in  which  to  praise  the  reformation 
in  their  own  Church,  or  dispraise  that  in  the  other  Protes- 
tant churches. 


*  F-or  this  purpose,  he  granted  to  Cheney  a  dispensation  to  hold 
Bristol  in  commendam  with  Gloucester.  And  for  precisely  the 
same  purpose,  he  granted  Blethyn  of  LandafF  a  dispensation  to 
hold  the  archdeaconry  of  Brecon,  the  rectory  of  Roget,  a  prebend 
in  LandafF,  the  rectory  of  Sunningwell,  and  in  addition,  "to  hold 
alia  quaecunque,  quotcunqiie,  qualiucunque,  not  exceeding  J£100  per 
ann."     Strype's  Parker,  ii.  421,  422. 

■j-  As  a  specimen  of  the  manner  in  which  Parker  maintained 
the  "port  of  a  bishop,"  the  reader  may  consult  Strype's  Parker,  i. 
378—380,  253,  254;  ii.  278,  298,  297,  &c. 

t  Life  of  Parker,  ii.  204,  205. 
60 


THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION,  57 

It  may  not  be  improper,  although  we  have  scrupulously- 
confined  ourselves  to  Church  of  England  authorities,  to  give 
the  testimony  of  a  contemporary  Puritan  as  to  the  condi- 
tion of  that  Church  about  1570  : — 

"  I  could  rehearse  by  name,"  says  our  author,  "  a 
bishop's  boy,  ruffianly  both  in  behaviour  and  apparel,  at 
every  word  swearing  and  staring,  having  ecclesiastical 
promotions — a  worthy  prebend  (prebendary?)  no  doubt. 
I  could  name  whoremongers  being  taken,  and  also  con- 
fessing their  lechery,  and  yet  both  enjoying  their  livings 
and  also  having  their  mouths  open,  and  not  stopped  nor 
forbidden  to  preach.  I  know  also  some  that  have  said 
mass  diverse  years  since  it  was  prohibited,  and  upon  their 
examination  confessed  the  same,  yet  are  in  quiet  possession 
of  their  ecclesiastical  promotions.  I  know  double  beneficed 
men  that  do  nothing  but  eat,  drink,  sleep,  play  at  dice 
tables,  bowls,  and  read  service  in  the  Church, — but  these 
infect  not  their  flocks  with  false  doctrine,  for  they  teach 
nothing  at  all."* 

Where  is  the  man  who  ponders  over  these  statements 
that  will  not  sympathize  with  the  bishop  of  Sodor  and 
Man,  in  the  reflection  with  which  he  closes  his  history  of 
the  reign  of  Elizabeth  ?  — "  The  feeling  which  the  more 
attentive  study  of  these  times  is  calculated  to  inspire,"  says 
Dr.  Short,']'  '<  is  the  conviction  of  the  superintendence  of 

*  Parte  of  a  Register,  p.  8.  See  also  pmsim,  the  first  of  the 
Mar  Prelate  Tracts,  just  reprinted  by  Mr.  John  Petheram,  book- 
seller, 71  Chancery  Lane,  London.  The  Mar  Prelate  Tracts 
having  been  written  in  a  satirical  style,  were  disclaimed  by  the 
stern  and  severe  Puritans  of  the  times,  but  so  far  as  facts  are  con- 
cerned, we  hold  them  perfectly  trustworthy.  We  have  read  through 
Martin's  Epistle,  just  published,  and  will  at  any  time,  at  five  min- 
utes' warning,  undertake  to  establish  by  positive  or  presumptive 
evidence  the  substantial,  and  in  the  great  majority  of  cases  the 
verbal,  truth  of  any  important  fact  it  contains.  Mr.  Petheram 
intends,  should  he  receive  sufficient  encouragement,  to  reprint  by 
subscription,  in  a  neat  cheap  form,  several  of  the  old  Puritan 
tracts,  such  as  The  Troubles  at  Frankfort,  Admonition  to  Parlia- 
ment, Parte  of  Register,  and  others  exceedingly  valuable,  but  so 
exceedingly  rare,  that  not  one  in  a  hundred  of  our  readers  can 
ever  have  seen  them.  Mr.  Petheram  illustrates  these  tracts  by 
judicious  antiquarian  notes,  that  add  greatly  to  their  value.  We 
recommend  our  readers  in  the  strongest  terms  to  possess  them- 
selves of  these  curious  and  valuable  productions,  and  trust  Mr. 
Petheram  may  receive  such  encouragement  in  his  spirited  enter- 
prise as  may  induce  him  to  reprint  even  larger  works  of  the  old 
Puritan  divines. 

•j-  Sketch,  <S6C=,  p.  318. 

F  61 


58  THE  ANGLICAN  REFOKMATION. 

Providence  over  the  Church  of  Christ."  Assuredly  but 
for  the  watchful  providence  of  the  God  of  all  grace,  the 
Church  of  Christ  in  England  could  never  have  survived  the 
reign  of  Elizabeth. 

There  is  just  one  subject  more  to  which  we  must  allude 
before  we  bring  the  lengthened  sketch  of  the  Anglican 
Reformation  to  a  close ;  and  we  do  so  in  order  to  show  our 
readers  that  if  "  apostolical  succession,"  or  an  uninterrupted 
succession  of  ministers  canonically  baptized,  and  prelatically 
ordained  and  consecrated,  be  essential  to  the  being  of  a 
Church,  then  the  Church  of  England  not  only  cannot  prove 
that  she  has  this  essential  qualification,  but  we  can  prove 
that  she  has  lost  it,  at  least  to  an  extent  that  invalidates  all 
her  pretensions  to  its  possession. 

We  have  some  time  ago  shown,  that,  on  canonical  prin- 
ciples, baptism  is  valid  only  when  it  is  administered  by  a 
minister  canonically,  that  is,  as  it  is  commonly  understood, 
prelatically  ordained ;  and  that  without  such  baptism  a 
man's  orders,  however  canonically  conferred,  are  null  and 
void,  inasmuch  as  he  wanted  a  qualification  which  is 
essential  as  a  substratum  for  orders  subsequently  received. 
Ministers  of  the  Church  of  England,  if  they  would  prove 
that  they  possess  an  apostolical  succession,  must  first  prove 
that  all  through  whom  baptism  and  orders  have  descended 
to  them  have  themselves  been  canonically  baptized  and 
ordained.  But  how  can  this  be  proved  in  the  presence  of 
such  facts  as  the  following?  Midwives,  about  the  period 
of  the  Reformation,  were,  it  would  appear,  frequently  guilty 
of  changing  infants  at  birth,  strangling  and  beheading 
them,  and  baptizing  them  in  what  were  called  cases  of 
necessity,  with  perfumed  and  artificial  water,  and  "  odd  and 
profane  words"  and  ceremonies.  On  these  accounts  it  was 
deemed  necessary  not  only  to  bind  them  over  to  keep  the 
peace  towards  these  "  innocents,"  but  to  grant  them  a 
species  of  orders,  by  which  they  might  be  admitted  among 
the  subaltern  grades  of  the  hierarchy.  Parker,  for  ex- 
ample, in  1567,  grants  to  Eleanor  Pead,  a  license  to  ad- 
minister baptism,  (having  first  exacted  of  her  an  oath  of 
canonical  obedience)  of  the  following  tenor, — "  Also,  that 
in  the  ministration  of  the  sacrament  of  baptism,  I  will 
use  apt,  and  the  accustomed  words  of  the  same  sacra- 
ment, that  is  to  say,  these  words  following,  or  the  like  in 
effect,  '  I  christen  thee  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  the  Son, 
and  the  Holy  Ghost,'  and  none  other  profane  words."  * 
*  Strype's  An.  i.  ii.  243—3. 
62 


THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION.  59 

Now,  without  being  so  hypercritical  as  to  maintain  that 
Parker,  in  calling  the  words  "  I  christen  thee,"  &c.  "  pro- 
fane words,"  as  in  the  above  sentence  he  necessarily  does, 
seems  himself  to  acknowledge  the  invalidity  of  such  pre- 
tended sacrament ;  and  without  maintaining  that  the  omis- 
sion of  the  scriptural  term  "  I  baptize,"  and  the  substitution 
of  the  unscriptural  and  heretical  term  "I  christen,"  invali- 
dates  the  whole  act,  (even  had  it  been  performed  by  Parker 
himself,)  but  granting  that  these  irregularities  derogate 
nothing  from  the  validity  of  the  ordinance,  as  performed 
by  the  said  Eleanor,  we  yet  beg  leave  to  demand  of  every 
pretender  to  the  apostolical  succession  in  the  Anglican 
Church,  to  prove  to  our  satisfaction  that  some  of  his  ghostly 
fathers  were  not  "  christened"  by  Eleanor  Pead,  or  some 
of  her  "  sage"  sisterhood  ;  and  if  they  were,  then  to  show 
us  any  authority  whatever  that  such  "  sage  femme"  has  to 
administer  baptism  any  more  than  the  Lord's  Supper ; 
and  finally,  if  he  contends  that  Eleanor  Pead  did,  or  could, 
possess  such  authority,  then  we  ask  on  what  ground  could 
she  be  inhibited  from  performing  the  other  acts  of  the  min- 
istry, or  why  deacons,  priests,  and  prelates  are  at  all  ne- 
cessary, seeing  an  apostolical  succession  of  midwives  is 
just  as  sufficient  as  that  of  prelates  or  popes !  We  trust 
these  remarks  may  not  be  considered  very  unreasonable. 

But  we  possess  ample  evidence  that  midwives  were  not 
the  only  uncanonical  administrators  of  sacraments  during 
the  AngHcan  Reformation.  We  have  already  shown  that 
the  bishops  were  persecuted,  both  by  patrons  and  presen- 
tees, when  ordination  and  institution  were  refused  to  un- 
qualified candidates.*  But  we  have  now  to  show  that 
many  of  those  whose  only  object  in  getting  a  "  living," 
was  what  the  term  so  expressively  signifies,  on  meeting 
with  patrons,  whose  only  desire  was  to  make  the  most  of 
their  "  patrimonial  rights,  and  vested  interests,"  without 
troubling  prelate  or  primate  for  orders,  at  once,  not  only 
took  possession  of  the  temporalities,  but  set  themselves 
to  perform  all  clerical  acts,  as  ministers  of  the  parishes. 
In  1567,  in  a  visitation  of  the  cathedral  of  Norwich, 
it  was  discovered  that  one  of  the  archde'acons  (a  part 
of  whose  functions  it  is  to  institute,  or  as  we  call  it,  to 
induct,  into  benefices)  and  a  prebendary  were  not  in  orders 
at  all.'l'     In  1568,  the  bishop  of  Gloucester  wrote  Parker 

*  See  for  example  Strype's  Parker,  ii.  84 — 87. 
t  Strype's  Parker,  i.  492. 

63 


60  THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION. 

that  he  had  discovered  in  his  diocese  two  men  who  had 
"  administered  the  communion,  christened  infants,  and 
married  people,  and  done  other  spiritual  offices  in  the 
Church,  and  yet  never  took  holy  orders.  One  of  them  had 
counterfeited  that  bishop's  seal,  and  the  other  was  per- 
jured."* In  1574,  there  was  "one  Lowth,  of  Carlisle 
side,  w^ho,  though  he  had  for  fifteen  or  sixteen  years  exer- 
cised the  function,  yet  he  proved  to  be  ordered  neither 
priest  nor  minister.""}"  He  was  discovered  in  consequence 
of  some  irregularity  in  his  conformity,  which  led  to  his 
examination,  and  in  consequence  of  which  he  was  dis- 
covered to  be  a  mere  layman.  Had  he  conformed,  like  so 
many  more  who  were  in  similar  circumstances,  he  might 
perhaps,  layman  though  he  was,  have  risen  to  the  bench. 
In  1582,  the  bishop  of  St.  David's  wrote  to  Walsingham 
that  he  found  in  his  diocese  "  divers  that  pretended  to  be 
ministers,  and  had  counterfeited  divers  bishops'  seals,  as 
Gloucester,  Hereford,  Landaff  and  his  predecessors,  being 
not  called  at  all  to  the  ministry."  There  must  have  been 
at  least  four  of  them,  and  they  had  been  in  their  cures  "by 
the  space  of  eight,  ten,  twelve,  and  some  fourteen  years. "| 
"  But  among  the  most  scandalous  churchmen  in  these  days 
(1571,)  the  greatest  surely,"  says  Strype,§  who,  however, 
knew  far  too  much  to  be  very  confident  in  his  assertion, — 

"  the  greatest  surely  was  one  Blackall He  had  four 

wives  alive.  ...  He  had  intruded  himself  into  the  ministry 
for  the  space  of  twelve  years,  and  yet  was  never  lawfully 
called  nor  made  minister  by  any  bishop.  ...  He  was  a 
chopper  and  changer  of  benefices,"  (that  is,  he  was  success- 
ful in  getting  a  variety  of  presentations  to  benefices  in 
various  parts  of  the  country,  into  which  he  intruded  him- 
self, without  asking  the  leave  or  concurrence  of  any  prelate 
— a  very  frequent  occurrence  at  the  time,)  "  little  caring 
by  what  ways  or  means  so  (as)  he  might  get  money  from 
any  man.  He  would  run  from  country  to  country,  and 
from  town  to  town,  leading  about  with  him  naughty 
women,  as  in  Gloucestershire  he  led  a  naughty  strumpet 
about  the  country,  (nick)  named  Gree7i  Apron.  He 
altered  his  name  wherever  he  went,  going  by  these  several 
surnames,  Blackall,  Barthall,  Dorcl,  Barkly,  Baker ! !" 
Was  there  ever  a  church  upon  the  earth  in  which  such  a 


*  Strype's  Parker,  i.  534. 
t  Ibid.  ii.  400.     Life  of  Grindal,  275—6. 
t  Strype's  Life  of  Grindal,  401.  §  Annals,  iii.  144—5. 

64 


THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION.  61 

monster  as  this  could  exist,  in  which  such  atrocious  irregu- 
larities, and  not  only  irregularities,  but  criminalities,  could 
be  openly  perpetrated  for  the  space  of  twelve  years,  without 
censure  or  detection,  but  the  Church  of  England  alone? 
And  are  we  now,  in  blind  uninquiring  submission  to  "  bulls" 
from  Oxford,  or  London  or  Lambeth,  in  spite  of  such  infa- 
mous facts  open  to  the  whole  world, — are  we,  renouncing 
the  characteristic  attributes  of  man,  and  resigning  the  direc- 
tion of  our  judgments,  and  the  interests  of  our  souls  into  the 
hands  of  the  successors,  not  of  the  apostles,  but  of  such  mis- 
creants as  Blackall,  to  receive,  as  the  only  commissioned 
messengers  of  Heaven  to  our  land,  the  ministers  of  the 
Church  of  England  ?  So  common  in  fact  was  the  practice 
of  taking  possession  of  benefices  without  orders,-  and  when 
the  right  of  possession  was  at  any  time  questioned,  of  forging 
letters  of  orders,  that  in  1575,  that  is,  seventeen  years  after 
the  Anglican  Church  was  settled  under  Elizabeth,  the  matter 
was  brought  before  convocation,  and  it  was  enacted,  that 
"  diligent  inquisition  should  be  made  for  such  as  forged  let- 
ters of  orders,"  and  "  that  bishops  certify  one  another  of 
counterfeit  ministers."  *  The  reason  of  this  last  enactment 
was,  that  when  one  of  these  "  counterfeit  ministers"  was  de- 
tected in  one  diocese,  he  fled  into  another,  and  so  little  unity 
of  action  was  there,  or  can  there  ever  be,  in  a  prelatic  regi- 
men, (unlike  our  Church  courts)  that  the  same  course  of 
"  counterfeit  ministry"  might  be  gone  through  in  succession 
in  all  the  dioceses  in  England. 

What  now,  we  repeat,  becomes  of  the  claim  to  the  apos- 
tolical succession,  so  confidently  and  oflensively  put  forth 
by  ministers  of  the  Church  of  England  ?  "  Even  in  the 
memory  of  persons  living,"  says  archbishop  Whately,+ 
"  there  existed  a  bishop,  concerning  whom  there  was  so 
much  mystery  and  uncertainty  prevailing,  as  to  when,  and 
where,  and  by  whom  he  had  been  ordained,  that  doubts  ex- 
isted in  the  minds  of  many  persons  whether  he  had  ever 
been  ordained  at  all,"  .  .  .  and  from  the  circumstances  of  the 
case,  and  from  the  fact  that  such  doubts  did  prevail  in  the 
minds  of  well-informed  persons,  it  is  certain  "  that  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  case  were  such  as  to  make  manifest  the 
possibility  of  such  an  irregularity  occurring  under  such  cir- 
cumstances."   Such  an  irregularity,  then,  as  a  man  not  only 

*  Strype's  Grindal,  290.     One  of  these  was  e.  g.  summoned  be- 
fore the  convocation  of  1584.     Strype's  Whitgift,  i.  398. 
■j-  On  the  Kingdom  of  Christ,  p.  178. 

f2  6  65 


62  THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION. 

officiating  in  the  lower  grades  of  the  ministry,  but  even  rising 
to  the  primacy  of  the  Church  of  England,  without  ever  hav- 
ing been  in  orders,  or  rather  such  a  subversion  of  the  very 
first  elements  of  an  apostolical  constitution,  was  not  confined 
to  the  dark  and  troublous  period  of  the  Reformation,  when 
the  whole  framework  of  society  was  dissolved  into  its  first 
rudiments,  and  every  species  of  irregularity  not  only  might, 
but  as  we  know  did  occur,  but  the  very  same  '*  unchurch- 
ing" irregularities  have  existed  in  the  Church  of  England 
down  through  every  age  of  its  history,  "  till  within  the  me- 
mory of  persons  now  living."  Any  one  who  will  look  at  a 
"  genealogical  tree,"  and  observe  how  many  wide  spreading 
and  far  distant  branches  may  spring  from  one  stem,  will 
easily  perceive  how  a  very  few  such  unordained  or  "  coun- 
terfeit ministers"  as  we  have  referred  to,  and  shown  to  have 
existed  in  the  Church  of  England,  were  amply  enough  to 
have  destroyed  all  apostolical  succession  in  the  kingdom. 
Such  withered  branches  could  not  transmit  any  portion  of 
the  "  sacred  deposit."  All  who  have  succeeded  to  them  are 
no  successors  of  the  apostles ;  and  we  challenge  any,  and 
every  minister  in  the  Church  of  England  to  prove  to  us  that 
he  has  not  received  all  the  orders  he  ever  possessed,  through 
some  of  these  Eleanor  Peads,  Lowths  of  Carlisle-side,  or 
Blackalls — a  glorious  parentage,  certainly,  of  which  they 
have  great  reason  to  be  vain. 

We  have  not,  for  our  own  part,  been  very  much  addicted 
to  boast  of  our  ancestry,  albeit  it  contains  names  of  whose 
call  and  commission  from  Heaven  we  have  no  more  doubt 
than  we  have  of  those  of  the  apostle  Paul.  We  have  com- 
monly found,  in  private  life,  that  such  boasting  is  very  much 
a  characteristic  o^  u^sidiXi parvenus^  and  we  have  yet  to  leara 
that  it  is  greatly  different  in  regard  to  official  descent.  Should 
occasion,  however,  demand,  we  have  no  great  dislike  to  pay 
a  visit  to  the  Herald's  College,  and  demonstrate  to  our  South- 
ern neighbours  that  we  have  no  such  bar  sinister  in  ours  as 
defaces  their  clerical  escutcheon.  May  we  therefore  drop  a 
hint  to  certain  parties,  that,  however  they  may  do  it  in  pri- 
vate, where  no  one  may  mark  their  confusion,  they  should 
be  specially  chary  how,  in  public,  they  turn  up  any  ecclesi- 
astical ''  Debrett."  Much  as  they  decry,  and  often  as  they 
twit  our  Wesleyan  friends,  he  must  have  a  peculiarly  con- 
stituted taste,  indeed,  who  would  not  prefer  even  genuine 
"  Brumagem  orders"  to  such  as  have  been  forged  by  such 
ghostly  progenitors  as  they  boast  of. 

We  had  purposed  to  show  multifarious  and  other  irregu- 
66 


THE  ANGLICAN  REFORMATION.  63 

larities  in  the  organization  of  the  Church  of  England.  We 
have,  however,  more  than  exhausted  our  present  space.  But 
should  God  grant  us  health  we  may  soon  return  to  the  sub- 
ject, for  we  can  assure  our  readers  we  have  only  broken 
ground,  and  simply  tested  the  range  and  capabilities  of  our 
ordnance.  It  is  assuredly  in  itself  no  grateful  task  to  rake 
up  the  errors  of  the  dead,  and  expose  the  defects  in  our 
neighbours'  ecclesiastical  constitution.  But  it  has  become 
necessary.  We  have  now  no  option.  The  Church  of  Eng- 
land has  now,  for  years,  unprovoked,  unresisted,  poured 
upon  us  such  torrents  of  abuse,  from  her  lordliest  prelates  to 
her  obscurest  curates, — she  has  vilified  all  we  held  sacred, 
insulted  all  we  held  dear,  and  we  must  either  tamely  submit 
to  see  our  beloved  Church  covered  with  infamy,  or  hurl 
back  the  foul  missiles  upon  the  aggressors. 

An  observation  or  two  in  conclusion.  We  have,  upon 
this  occasion,  confined  our  remarks  to  the  history  of  Eliza- 
beth's first  prelates.  The  second  set  became  much  less 
pious  and  Protestant,  and  consequently  we  have  selected  the 
period  most  favourable  to  the  Church  of  England.  This  is 
clearly  implied  in  a  passage  we  have  given  from  the  British 
Critic,  and  we  may  hereafter  prove  it,  should  any  call  it  in 
question.  Our  authorities  have  been  exclusively  from  Church 
of  England  writers  ;  not  certainly  because  we  deemed  them 
more  trustworthy  than  others,  for  no  man  of  any  pretensions 
to  candour  will  dispute,  as  Bishop  Short  has  remarked,*  that 
members  of  other  communions  cannot  be  supposed  to  be 
more  prejudiced  against  her  than  her  own  members  are  in 
her  favour.  We  have  selected  this  course,  because  we  have 
found  her  own  writers  establish  all  that  we  desire  in  order 
to  accomplish  our  end.  When  they  write  against  the  Church 
of  Scotland,  will  they  follow  our  example  ?  If  they  do,  it 
will  present  a  new  phasis  in  the  controversy.  Hitherto  they 
have  taken  as  their  authorities  works  written  by  non-jurors, 
and  Scottish  prelatic  sectaries,  the  most  unscrupulous  ccfh- 
troversialists  that  ever  disgraced  a  cause  that  had  little  indeed 
to  commend  it.  We  have  said  that  the  Church  of  England, 
in  every  thing  of  importance,  stands  now  precisely  where 
she  stood  at  the  demise  of  Elizabeth.  This  may  be  called 
in  question  by  those  who  know  not  the  facts  of  the  case. 
We  therefore  appeal  to  the  following  testimony  of  one  of  her 
living  prelates.   "  The  kingdom,"  says  Bishop  Short,"]"  "  has, 

*  Sketch,  «fec.-  sect.  419. 

t  Sketch  of  the  History  of  the  Church  of  England,  2d  edit.  pp. 

67 


64  THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION. 

for  the  last  two  hundred  years,  been  making  rapid  strides  in 
every  species  of  improvement,  and  a  corresponding  altera- 
tion in  the  laws  on  every  subject  has  taken  place ;  during 
this  period  nothing  has  been  remedied  in  the  church^''''  (the 
italics  are  ours.)  So  grievous  are  the  abuses  which  the 
anomalous  constitution  of  the  Anglican  church  has  entailed 
upon  her,  that  Dr.  Short  hesitates  not  to  say,  (with  his  usu- 
ally interjected  "  perhaps,"  whenever  he  gives  utterance  to 
an  unpalatable  sentiment)  that  "  the  temporal  advantages 
which  the  establishment  possesses,  are,  perhaps,  more  than 
counterbalanced  by  the  total  inability  of  the  church  to  regu- 
late any  thing  within  herself,  and  the  great  want  of  discip- 
line over  the  clergy ;  ....  while  the  absurd  nature  of  our 
ecclesiastical  laws  renders  every  species  of  discipline  over 
the  laity  not  only  nugatory,  but  when  it  is  exercised,  fre- 
quently unchristian,  ridiculous,  and  in  many  cases  very 
oppressive,"  as  in  the  case  of  excommunication,  by  which  a 
man  is  deprived,  not  only  of  all  ecclesiastical  privileges,  but 
even  of  civil,  yea,  of  all  social  rights. 

Some  of  our  readers  may  be  inclined  to  ask,  if  all  these 
things  be  in  reality  so,  how  does  it  happen  that  good,  pious, 
enlightened  men  remain  in  the  communion  of  the  Church  of 
England  ?  Now  this  is  a  question  that  ought  not  to  be  asked, 
and  being  asked,  ought  not  to  be  answered.  We  judge  no 
man.  To  his  own  master  he  standeth  or  falleth.  We  can, 
however,  assign  one  reason,  which,  besides  the  all-powerful 
one  of  the  prejudices  of  education,  is  sufficient  to  account  to 
our  own  mind,  and  that  without  any  imputation  against  them, 
for  such  men  remaining  in  the  Anglican  church,  and  that 
is,  total  ignorance  of  her  character  and  constitution.  Let 
not  this  insinuation  startle  our  readers.  We  shall  prove  that 
such  ignorance  exists.  Dr.  Short,  in  the  preface  to  his  work, 
(p.  1,)  assigns  as  the  reason  that  led  him  to  commence  his 
history,  that  he  "  discovered  after  he  was  admitted  into  or- 
ders," and  when  engaged  as  tutor  in  his  college,  "  that  the 
knowledge  of  English  ecclesiastical  history  which  he  pos- 
sessed was  very  deficient He  was  distressed  that 

436 — 7.  Note.  This  is  a  work  which  we  recommend  to  our  readers. 
That  we  do  not  agree  with  Dr.  Short  in  many  of  his  statements 
we  have  not  concealed.  But  we  should  do  him  injustice  if  we  did 
not  say,  that  although  his  work  is  brief,  too  brief,  and  not  free 
from  faults,  from  which  we  never  expect  to  see  a  history  of  the 
Church  of  England,  by  one  of  her  own  ministers,  altogether  ex- 
empt, still  it  is  incomparably  the  best  work  on  the  subject  which 
an  Anglican  clergyman  has  ever  produced. 
68 


THE    ANGLICAN    REFORMATION.  65 

his  knowledge  of  the  sects  among  the  philosophers  of  Athens 
was  greater  than  his  information  on  questions  which  affect 
the  Church  of  England."  Dr.  Short's  is  no  smgular  case. 
The  ignorance  of  Anglican  ministers  upon  the  history  and 
constitution  of  their  own  church  would  astonish  our  readers. 
A  memorable  instance  of  this  has  recently  come  to  light  in 
this  city,*  and  we  allude  to  it  because  the  well-known  con- 
scientiousness and  high  character  of  the  party  concerned 
give  the  instance  all  the  greater  authority.  The  Rev.  D.  T. 
K.  Drummond,  for  whom  personally  we  entertain  the  very 
highest  respect,  has  shown,  in  one  of  his  recent  tracts,  that 
he  never,  till  within  the  last  few  days,  had  examined,  or  at 
least  understood,  the  canons  of  that  sect  of  which  he  was 
a  minister;  or  at  all  events,  that  he  was  ignorant  of  what  it 
regards  as  by  far  the  most  important  part  of  its  services, — 
the  communion  office.  Mr.  Drummond  was,  for  years,  a 
minister  in  that  body,  and  it  does  not  appear  that  a  shadow 
of  suspicion  ever  crossed  his  mind  that  its  constitution  con- 
tained any  thing  either  positively  erroneous,  or  sinfully  de- 
fective ;  indeed  his  character  is  a  sufficient  guaranty  that  no 
such  thought  ever  found  harbourage  in  his  breast,  for  had  he 
but  entertained  the  suspicion,  he  would  not  have  remained 
one  day  in  that  communion.  And  yet  in  the  constitution 
and  liturgical  offices  of  that  sect,  there  existed  all  the  while 
a  plague-spot  so  deadly,  that,  on  its  discovery,  Mr.  Drum- 
mond is  compelled,  as  he  values  his  own  soul,  to  come  out 
of  Babylon,  that  he  be  not  a  partaker  of  her  sins  and  punish- 
ment. Such  will  also  be  the  result  to  which  pious  ministers 
in  the  Church  of  England  will  be  brought,  should  they 
ever  unprejudicedly  and  dispassionately  examine  her  consti- 
tution. And  should  Mr.  Drummond,  as  we  doubt  not  he 
will,  continue  his  investigations  in  the  spirit  in  which  he  has 
commenced  them,  we  shall  be  astonished,  indeed,  if  his  love 
of  truth,  and  of  Him  who  is  the  truth,  does  not  lead  him  to 
renounce  all  communion  with  the  Church  of  England,  as  he 
has  already  done  with  the  Scottish  prelatic  sectaries.  A 
sifting  time  is  at  hand  ;  and  when  the  breath  of  the  living 
God  has  blown  over  the  thrashing  floor  of  the  Church,  we 
confidently  anticipate  that  only  the  chaff  shall  remain  in  the 
Church  of  England. 

*  Edinburgh. 

THE   END. 

Stereotn)ed  by  S.  DOUGLAS  WYETH,  No  7  Pear  St.,  Philadelphia. 

6*  69 


(2 

HISTORY 


OF  THE 


EARLY  RISE  OE  PRELACY. 


BY  THE 

Rev.  SAMUEL  MILLER,  D.D. 

PROFESSOR    IN   THE   THEOLOGICAL   SEMINARY    AT   rklNCETON. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

PEESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION. 


Entered  according  to  the  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1840,  by  A. 
W.  Mitchell,  in  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  District  Court  for 
the  Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


Printed  by 
WM..  s  martien. 

~  Stereotyped  by 

!.   00[IGLA.S    WVETH. 


EAELY  RISE  OF  PRELACY 


One  of  the  most  plausible  arguments  in  favour  of 
prelacy,  is  drawn  by  Episcopalians  from  the  early 
rise  of  the  prelatical  system.  The  argument  is  thus 
stated — "  Bishops,  as  an  order  superior  to  presbyters, 
are  freely  acknowledged  by  Presbyterians  to  have 
existed  toward  the  close  of  the  third,  and,  beyond  all 
doubt,  early  in  the  fourth  century.  Now,  in  what 
manner  shall  we  account  for  the  introduction  of  such 
an  order  ?  Can  any  man  believe  that  it  was  an  inno- 
vation, brought  in  by  human  ambition  within  the 
first  three  hundred  years  ?  Is  it  supposable  that  men 
of  such  eminent  piety,  self-denial,  and  zeal  as  the 
ministers  of  the  first  two  hundred  and  fifty,  or  three 
hundred  years  are  represented  to  have  been,  could 
have  been  disposed  to  usurp  unscriptural  authority? 
But,  even  if  they  had  been  wicked  enough  to  be  so 
disposed,  can  we  believe  that  any  temptation  to  do  so 
then  existed,  when  it  is  known  that,  by  gaining  eccle- 
siastical pre-eminence,  they  only  became  more  promi- 
nent objects  to  their  pagan  enemies,  and,  of  course, 
more  exposed  to  the  fury  of  persecution  ?  But,  even 
supposing  them  to  have  been  so  ambitious  and  un- 
principled as  to  attempt  encroachment  on  the  rights 
of  others,  and  to  have  had  ever  so  strong  a  tempta- 
tion to  do  it,  can  we  imagine  that  such  an  attempt 
could  have  been  successful?  would  the  rest  of  the 
G  73  3 


4  EARLY  RISE  OP  PRELACY. 

clergy  have  quietly  submitted  to  such  an  usurpation? 
would  the  people  have  endured  it?  In  a  word;  even 
supposing  the  clergy  of  that  period  to  have  been  un- 
principled enough  to  aspire  to  unauthorized  honours, 
and  to  encroach  on  the  rights  of  their  brethren ;  and 
to  have  had  the  strongest  inducements  thus  to  act ; 
is  it  credible  that  so  great  a  change  in  the  constitution 
of  the  church  could  have  taken  place  without  oppo- 
sition, without  much  conflict  and  noise  ?  And  if  any 
such  conflict  and  noise  had  occurred,  should  we  not 
now  find  some  record  of  it  ?  Could  such  an  encroach- 
ment possibly  have  taken  place  without  convulsion ; 
without  leaving  on  the  records  of  antiquity  some 
traces  of  the  steps  by  which  it  was  accomplished? 
No,  say  the  Episcopal  advocates,  it  is  not  credible ; 
nay,  it  is  impossible.  The  unavoidable  inference, 
then,  is  that  no  such  alteration  ever  took  place ;  that 
prelates,  as  an  order  superior  to  presbyters,  have  ex- 
isted in  the  church  from  the  beginning ;  and,  conse- 
quently, were  of  apostolical  origin." 

This  is  the  substance  of  an  argument  which  emi- 
nent Episcopal  writers  have  ventured  to  call  "demon- 
stration," and  on  which  great  stress  has  been  laid  by 
them  all.  And,  indeed,  I  am  free  to  confess,  that  I 
think  it  is  the  most  plausible  argument  they  have. 
Their  scriptural  testimony  amounts  to  nothing — abso- 
lutely nothing.  Their  testimony  from  the  fathers,  we 
have  seen  to  be  a  failure.  But  the  argument  which  I 
am  about  to  examine,  has,  at  first  view,  something 
hke  cogency.  I  am  persuaded,  however,  that  a  very 
slisfht  examination  will  suffice  to  show  that  this  co- 

o 

gency  is  only  apparent,  and  that  it  can  boast  of  no- 
thing more  than  mere  plausibility. 

And  the  first  remark  which  I  shall  make  on  this 
74 


EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY.  5 

argument  is,  that  it  is  the  very  same  which  the  Pa- 
pists have  been  accustomed,  ever  since  the  time  of 
Bellarmine,  to  employ  against  the  Protestants,  and, 
among  the  rest,  against  Protestant  Episcopahans. 
The  Papists  argue  thus — "Every  one  grants,"  say 
they,  "that  the  bishop  of  Rome  claimed  a  certain 
pre-eminence  over  all  other  bishops,  before  the  close 
of  the  third  century;  and  in  the  fourth  century  some 
pre-eminence  seems  to  have  been  extensively  con- 
ceded to  him."  Now,  they  ask — "How  could  this 
happen?  The  bishops  of  that  day  were  all  too  pious 
to  be  suspected  of  an  attempt  to  encroach  on  the 
rights  of  their  brethren.  But  if  it  were  not  so;  if  the 
prelate  of  Rome  had  been  wicked  enough  to  make 
the  attempt,  what  inducement  had  he  to  desire  such 
pre-eminence,  since  it  would  only  expose  him  to  more 
certain  and  severe  persecution?  Even  supposing, 
however,  that  he  was  proud  and  selfish  enough  to 
attempt  to  gain  such  pre-eminence,  and  had  had  the 
strongest  temptation  to  seek  it,  could  he  have  accom 
plished  any  usurpation  of  that  kind,  without  many 
struggles,  and  much  opposition  ?  What  were  the 
other  bishops  about  ?  Is  it  credible  that  men  of  sense, 
with  their  eyes  open,  and  '  of  like  passions  with  other 
men,'  should  be  wilUng  to  surrender  their  rights  to 
an  ambitious  individual  ?  And  even  if  an  ambitious 
individual  had  attempted  thus  to  usurp  authority,  and 
had  succeeded  in  the  attempt,  would  there  not  have 
been  resistance — warm  resistance — much  contlict  in 
the  unhallowed  struggle  for  pre-eminence?  And 
among  all  the  records  of  antiquity,  should  we  not  be 
able  to  find  some  traces  of  the  conflict  and  noise  occa- 
sioned by  this  ambitious  and  fraudulent  encroach- 
ment ?     Now,  since  we  find,"  say  tliev,  "  no  distinct 

1^  '  75 


6  EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY. 

account  of  any  such  conflict  and  noise ;  since  we  are 
wholly  unable  to  trace  the  various  steps  by  which  the 
bishop  of  Rome  is  alleged  to  have  gained  the  ecclesi- 
astical throne  on  which  he  has  been  sitting  for  ages — 
we  infer  that  he  was  never  guilty  of  any  such  usur- 
pation ;  that  his  pre-eminence  existed  from  the  days 
of  the  apostles ;  and,  of  course,  is  an  institution  of 
Christ.'^ 

It  is  perfectly  manifest  that  the  argument  of  the 
Papists — and  which  they  too  call  "demonstration" — 
is  of  the  very  same  character  with  that  of  modern 
Episcopalians.  It  is,  in  fact,  mutatis  mutandis — 
the  very  same  argument;  and  every  intelligent  reader 
will  see  that  it  is  quite  as  potent  in  popish  as  in  Pro- 
testant hands.  But,  as  was  pronounced  in  the  former 
case,  it  is,  in  regard  to  both,  plausible — simply  plausi- 
ble— and  nothing  more.  A  few  plain  statements,  and 
especially  a  few  indubitable  facts,  will  be  quite  suffi- 
cient to  destroy  its  force  in  the  estimation  of  all  intelli- 
gent and  impartial  readers. 

The  first  assumption  in  this  argument  is,  that  the 
clergy,  during  the  first  three  hundred  years,  had  too 
much  I^ty,  zeal,  gospel  simplicity,  and  disinterested- 
ness, to  admit  of  their  engaging  in  any  scheme  for 
usurping  a  power  in  the  church  which  Christ  never 
gave  them. 

We  are  accustomed  to  look  back  to  the  early 
church  with  a  veneration  nearly  bordering  on  super- 
stition. It  is  one  of  the  common  artifices  of  Popery 
to  refer  all  their  corruptions  to  primitive  times,  and, 
in  concurrence  with  this,  to  represent  those  times  as 
exhibiting  the  models  of  all  excellence.  But  every 
representation  of  this  kind  ought  to  be  received  with 

much    distrust.      The   Christian  church  during    the 
76 


EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY, 


apostolic  age,  and  perhaps  for  half  a  century,  and 
even  a  whole  century  afterwards,  did  indeed  present 
a  venerable  aspect.  Persecuted  by  the  world  on 
every  side,  she  was  favoured  in  an  uncommon  mea- 
sure with  the  presence  and  Spirit  of  her  divine  Head 
and  Lord;  and  perhaps  exhibited  a  degree  of  sim- 
plicity and  purity,  which  has  never  since  been  ex- 
ceeded— possibly  not  equalled.  But  long  before  the 
close  of  the  second  century  the  scene  began  to  change; 
and  before  the  commencement  of  the  fourth,  a  deplo- 
rable corruption  of  doctrine,  discipline,  and  morals, 
had  crept  into  the  church,  and  dreadfully  disfigured 
the  body  of  Christ.  Hegesippus,  an  ecclesiastical  his- 
torian, who  wrote  in  the  second  century,  declares  that 
"  the  virgin  purity  of  the  church  was  confined  to  the 
days  of  the  apostles."  Nay,  Jerome  asserts  that  "  the 
primitive  churches  were  tainted  with  gross  errors, 
while  the  apostles  were  still  alive,  and  while  the  blood 
of  Christ  was  still  warm  in  Judea."  We  know  that 
in  the  very  presence  of  the  Saviour  himself,  the  even- 
ing before  he  suffered,  there  was  a  contest  among  his 
disciples,  "  which  of  them  should  be  the  greatest." 
Tiie  apostle  Paul  expressly  cautions  ministers  of  his 
day  against  attempting  to  be  "  lords  over  God's  herit- 
age." What  a  caution,  you  will  say,  at  such  a  time, 
when  they  were  in  jeopardy  of  martyrdom  every 
hour!  Yet  the  undoubted  fact  is,  that  we  read,  in 
several  of  the  epistles,  strong  indications  of  the  ambi- 
tion, the  selfishness,  and  the  encroaching  spirit  even 
of  those  who  were  set  as  leaders  and  guides  of  the 
people,  and  who  ought  to  have  been  *'  ensamples  to 
the  flock."  We  read  of  Diotrephes,  who  "  loved  to 
have  the  pre-eminence,"  and  who,  on  that  account, 

troubled  the  church-.     In  short,  the  apostle  Paul  in- 
g2  77 


8  EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY. 

forms  US,  2  Thessaloniaiis  ii.  7,  that  the  mystery  of 
iniquity,  which  afterwards  wrought  such  an  amount 
of  corruption  and  mischief  in  the  church,  had  already 
begun  to  work. 

All  this  we  find  in  the  New  Testament.  But  let 
us  pursue  the  course  of  the  church  a  little  further,  and 
see  whether  the  supposition  of  its  entire  freedom  from 
corruption,  and  from  the  influence  of  ambition  and 
conflict  at  this  early  period  can  be  sustained. 

Was  there  no  spirit  of  domination  manifested  in 
the  fierce  dispute  between  Victor,  Bishop  of  Rome, 
and  Polycrates,  of  Ephesus,  which  took  place  in  the 
second  century,  as  related  by  Eusebius.^  Was  no 
love  of  pre-eminence  displayed  by  Cerinthus  and 
Basilides,  whose  burning  desire  was  "  to  be  accounted 
great  apostles?"  Did  Montanus,  in  the  same  centu- 
ry, exhibit  no  ambition  in  broaching  his  celebrated 
heresy?  Was  Samosatenus,  in  the  third,  wholly  free 
from  the  same  charge?  Did  Demetrius  of  Alexandria, 
discover  nothing  of  an  aspiring  temper,  when  he  sick- 
ened with  envy  at  the  fame  and  the  success  of  Origen? 
Are  there  no  accounts  of  Novatus  having  sought,  am- 
bitiously and  fraudulently,  to  obtain  the  bishoprick 
of  Rome?  Did  not  his  contemporary,  Felicissimus, 
make  a  vigorous  attempt  to  supplant  Cyprian,  as 
Bishop  of  Carthage?  Was  not  Cyprian  brought  in  to 
be  bishop  in  that  city,  by  the  influence  of  the  people, 
in  opposition  to  the  majority  of  the  presbyters,  some 
of  whom  were  anxious  to  obtain  the  place  for  them- 
selves? And  did  there  not  hence  arise  frequent  colli- 
sions between  him  and  them,  and  at  length  an  open 
rupture?  I  ask,  are  any  of  these  things  related  in  the 
early  history  of  the  church?  And  can  any  man,  with 
such  records  before  him,  lay  his  hand  on  his  heart, 
78 


EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY.  9 

and  assert  that  there  were  no  symptoms  of  a  spirit  of 
ambition  and  domination  in  those  times  ? 

But  I  will  not  content  myself  with  this  general  re- 
ference to  the  early  conflicts  of  selfishness  and  ambi- 
tion. The  following  specific  quotations  will  be  more 
than  sufficient,  if  I  do  not  mistake,  to  establish  all  that 
the  opponents  of  prelacy  can  need,  to  refute  the  plea 
before  us. 

Hermas,  one  of  the  earhest  fathers  whose  writings 
are  extant,  says,  in  his  Pastor,  "As  for  those  who  had 
their  rods  green,  but  yet  cleft;  they  are  such  as  were 
always  faithful  and  good ;  but  they  had  some  envy 
and  strife  among  themselves,  concerning  dignity  and 
pre-eminence.  Now  all  such  are  vain  and  without 
understanding,  as  contend  with  one  another  about 
these  things.  Nevertheless,  seeing  they  are  otherwise 
good,  if,  when  they  shall  hear  these  commands,  they 
shall  amend  themselves,  and  shall,  at  my  persuasion, 
suddenly  repent;  they  shall,  at  last, dwell  in  the  tower, 
as  they  who  have  truly  and  worthily  repented.  But 
if  any  one  shall  again  return  to  his  dissensions,  he 
shall  be  shut  out  of  the  tower,  and  lose  his  life.  For 
the  hfe  of  those  who  keep  the  commandments  of  the 
Lord,  consists  in  doing  what  they  are  commanded ; 
not  in  principality,  or  in  any  other  ^dignity.'  '^* 

Hegesippus,  who  lived  in  the  second  century,  and 
who  was  the  first  father  w?io  undertook  to  compose  a 
regular  ecclesiastical  history,  writes  thus.  "  When 
James,  the  just,  had  been  martyred  for  the  same  doc- 
trine which  our  Lord  preached,  Simon,  the  son  of 
Cleophas,  was  constituted  bishop  with  universal  pre- 
ference, because  he  was  the  Lord's  near  kinsman. 
Wherefore  they  called  that  church  a  pure  virgin,  be- 

*  Simil.  8.  §  7.  ^g 


10  EARLY  RISE  OF  TRELACl 

cause  it  was  not  defiled  with  corrupt  doctrine.  But 
Thebuli,  because  he  was  not  made  bisliop,  endeavour- 
ed to  corrupt  the  cliurch ;  being  one  of  the  seven  here- 
tics among  the  people,  whereof  was  Simon,  of  whom 
the  Simonians."* 

Some  zealous  EpiscopaUans  represent  the  age  of 
Cyprian  as  among  the  very  purest  periods  of  the  Chris- 
tian church,  and  quote  that  father  with  a  frequency 
and  a  confidence  which  evince  the  highest  respect  for 
his  authority.  Tiie  following  passages  will  show  how 
far  the  illustrious  pastoi:  of  Carthage  considered  the 
bishops  of  his  day  as  beyond  the  reach  of  selfishness 
and  ambition. 

"A  long  continuance  of  peace  and  security!  had 
relaxed  the  rigour  of  that  holy  discipline  which  was 
delivered  to  us  from  above.  All  were  set  upon  an 
immeasurable  increase  of  gain ;  and,  forgetting  how 
the  first  converts  to  our  religion  had  behaved  under 
the  personal  direction  and  care  of  the  Lord's  apostles, 
or  how  all  ought  in  after  times  to  conduct  themselves ; 
the  love  of  money  was  their  darling  passion,  and  the 
master-spring  of  all  their  actions.  The  religion  of  the 
clergy  slackened  and  decayed ;  the  faith  of  priests  and 
deacons  grew  languid  and  inactive;  works  of  charity 
were  discontinued;  and  an  universal  license  and  cor- 
^  ruption  prevailed.  Divers  bishops,  who  should  have 
taught  both  by  their  example  and  persuasion,  neglect- 
ing their  high  trust,  and  their  commission  from  above, 
entered  upon  the  management  of  secular  affairs;  and 
leaving  their  chair,  and  their  charge  with  it,  wandered 
about,  from  place  to  place  in  different  provinces,  upon 

*  See  fragments  of  this  writer  preserved  in  Eusebius,  lib.  iv. 
cap.  22. 

+  They  had  been  free  from  persecution  a  very  few  years. 
80 


EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY.  11 

mercantile  business,  and  in  quest  of  disreputable  gain. 
Thus  the  poor  of  the  church  were  miserably  neglect- 
ed,while  the  bishops,  who  should  have  taken  care  of 
them,  were  intent  upon  nothing  but  their  own  private 
profit,  which  they  were  forward  to  advance  at  any 
rate,  and  by  any,  even  the  foulest  methods.^'* 

Speaking  of  Cornelius,  who  had  been  made  bishop, 
Cyprian  says,  "  In  the  next  place,  he  neither  desired, 
nor  canvassed  for  the  dignity  conferred  upon  him; 
much  less  did  he  invade  it,  as  some  others  would, 
who  were  actuated  by  a  great  and  lofty  conceit  of 
their  own  qualifications;  but  peaceably  and  modestly, 
like  such  as  are  called  of  God  to  this  office.  Instead 
of  using  violence,  as  a  certain  person  in  this  case  hath 
done,  to  be  made  a  bishop,  he  suflered  violence,  and 
was  raised  to  his  dignity  by  force  and  compulsion.''! 

The  same  father,  in  the  same  epistle,  has  the  follow- 
ing passage:  "Unless  you  can  think  him  a  bishop, 
who,  when  another  was  ordained  by  sixteen  of  his 
brethren  bishops,  would  obtrude  upon  the  church  a 
spurious  and  foreign  bishop,  ordained  by  a  parcel  of 
renegadoes  and  deserters;  and  that  by  canvassing  and 
intriguing  for  it."± 

Cyprian  speaks  also  of  a  certain  deacon  who  had 
been  deposed  from  his  "  sacred  deaconship,  on  account 
of  his  fraudulent  and  sacrilegious  misapplication  of  the 
church's  money  to  his  own  private  use;  and  by  his 
denial  of  the  widows'  and  orphans'  pledges  deposited 
with  him."§ 

Origen,  the  contemporary  of  Cyprian,  more  than 
once  lashes  the  clergy  of  his  day  for  their  vices.  The 
following  passage  is  surely  strong  enough,  were  there 
no  other,  to  take  away  all  doubt.     "  If  Christ  justly 

*  De  Lapsis,  §  4.  t  Epist.  55.  X  Ibid.  §  Epist.  52. 

81 


12  EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY. 

wept  over  Jerusalem,  he  may  now,  on  much  better 
grounds,  weep  over  the  church,  which  was  built  to 
the  end  that  it  might  be  a  house  of  prayer;  and  yet, 
through  the  filthy  usury  of  some,  (and  I  wish  these 
were  not  even  the  pastors  of  the  people,)  is  made  a 
den  of  thieves.  But  I  think  that  that  which  is  writ- 
ten concerning  the  sellers  of  doves,  doth  agree  to  those 
who  commit  the  churches  to  greedy,  tyrannical,  un- 
learned, and  irreligious  bishops,  presbyters,  and  dea- 
cons."* The  same  father  elsewhere  declares,  "  We 
are  such  as  that  we  sometimes  in  pride  go  beyond 
even  the  wickedest  of  the  princes  of  the  gentiles;  and 
are  just  at  the  point  of  procuring  for  ourselves  splen- 
did guards,  as  if  we  were  kings,  making  it  our  study 
moreover  to  be  a  terror  to  others,  and  giving  them, 
especially  if  they  be  poor,  very  uneasy  access.  We 
are  to  them,  when  they  come  and  seek  any  thing  from 
us,  more  cruel  than  are  even  tyrants,  or  the  crudest 
princes  to  their  supplicants.  And  you  may  see,  even 
in  the  greater  part  of  lawfully  constituted  churches, 
especially  those  of  greater  cities,  how  the  pastors  of 
God's  people,  suffer  none,  though  they  were  even  the 
chiefest  of  Christ's  disciples,  to  be  equal  with  them- 
selves."t 

Eusebius,  who  Uved  in  the  next  century,  writes 
in  the  same  strain  concerning  the  age  of  Cyprian. 
"  When,  through  too  much  liberty,  we  fell  into  sloth 
and  negligence;  when  every  one  began  to  envy  and 
backbite  another:  when  we  waged,  as  it  were,  an 
intestine  war  amongst  ourselves,  with  words  as  with 
swords;  pastors  rushed  against  pastors,  and  people 
against  people,  and  strife  and  tumult,  deceit  and  guile 
advanced  to  the  highest  pitch  of  wickedness — Our 

*  In  Matt.  p.  441.  +  Ibid.  p.  420. 

82 


EARLY  KISE  OF  PRELACY.  13 

pastors,  despising  the  rule  of  religion,  strove  miitnally 
with  one  another,  studying  nothing  more  than  how 
to  outdo  each  other  in  strife,  emulations,  hatred,  and 
mutual  enmity ;  proudly  usurping  principalities,  as  so 
many  places  of  tyrannical  domination.  Then  the 
Lord  covered  the  daughter  of  Zion  with  a  cloud  in 
his  anger."* 

Gregory  Nazianzen,  who  flourished  in  the  fourth 
century,  at  a  time  which  many  are  disposed  to  assume 
as  the  very  best  model  of  the  Christian  church,  speaks, 
in  a  number  of  places  in  his  writings,  with  bitter  re- 
gret of  the  proud  and  ambitious  contests  among  the 
clergy  of  his  day.  His  language  is  the  more  remarkable 
because  he  was  himself  a  bishop,  and  of  course  some- 
what interested  in  maintaining  the  credit  of  his  order. 
Speaking  of  one  of  the  most  famous  councils  of  his 
time,  he  says,  "  These  conveyers  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
these  preachers  of  peace  to  all  men,  grew  bitterly  out- 
rageous and  clamorous  against  one  another,  in  the 
midst  of  the  church,  mutually  accusing  each  other, 
leaping  about  as  if  they  had  been  mad,  under  the 
furious  impulse  of  a  lust  of  power  and  dominion,  as 
if  they  would  have  rent  the  whole  world  in  pieces." 
He  afterwards  adds, "  This  was  not  the  effect  of  piety, 
but  of  a  contention  for  thrones." — Totu.  ii.  2^.  27. 

On  another  occasion,  in  the  bitterness  of  his  spirit, 
he  expresses  himself  iii  the  following  strong  language, 
"Would  to  God  there  were  no  prelacy,  no  prerogative 
of  place,  no  tyrannical  privileges ;  that  by  virtue  alone 
we  might  be  distinguished.  Now  this  right  and  left 
hand,  and  middle  rank,  these  higher  and  lower  dig- 
nities, and  this  state-like  precedence,  have  caused 
many  fruitless  conflicts  and  bruises ;  have  cast  many 

*  Hist.  Eccles.  lib.  viii.  cap.  1. 

2  83 


14  EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY. 

into  the  pit,  and  carried  away  multitudes  to  the  place 
of  the  goats." — Orat.  28. 

Nay,  Archbishop  Whitgift,  with  all  his  Episcopal 
partialities,  was  constrained  to  acknowledge  the  am- 
bitions and  aspiring  temper  which  disgraced  many- 
bishops  even  as  early  as  the  time  of  Cyprian.  "  There 
was  great  contention,"  says  he,  "among  the  bishops 
in  the  Council  of  Nice,  insomuch  that  even  in  the 
presence  of  the  emperor,  they  ceased  not  to  libel  one 
against  another.  What  bitterness  and  cursing  was 
there  between  Epiphanius  and  Chrysostom!  What 
jarring  between  Jerome  and  Augustine!  Bishops 
shall  not  now  need  to  live  by  pilling  and  polling,  as  it 
seems  they  did  in  Cyprian's  time;  for  he  complaineth 
thereof  in  his  sermon  De  Lapsis.^^* 

With  Whitgift  agrees  his  contemporary  Rigaltius, 
who  was  so  much  distinguished  for  his  learned  An- 
notations on  the  works  of  Cyprian.  Speaking  of 
Cyprian's  age,  and  of  the  deacon's  office,  he  says, 
"  By  little  and  little,  and  from  small  beginnings,  a 
kingdom  and  a  love  of  dominion  entered  into  the 
church.  In  the  apostles'  time  there  were  only  dea- 
cons; Cyprian's  age  admitted  sub-deacons;  the  fol- 
lowing age  arch-deacons,  und  then  archbishops  and 
patriarchs." 

These  extracts  are  produced,  not  to  blacken  the 
ministerial  character;  but  to  establish  the  fact,  that 
clerical  ambition,  and  clerical  encroachments  were 
familiarly  known,  even  during  that  period  which 
modern  Episcopalians  pronounce  the  purest  that  was 
ever  enjoyed  by  the  Christian  church.  I  certainly 
have  no  interest,  and  can  take  no  pleasure  in  depict- 
ing the  foibles,  the  strifes,  and  the  vices  of  the  clergy 

*  Defence  of  his  Answer  against  Cartwright,  p.  472,  &c. 
84 


.EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY.  15 

in  any  age.  Bat  when  assertions  are  made  respect- 
ing them  aS  directly  contradictory  to  all  history,  as 
they  are  contrary  to  the  course  of  depraved  human 
nature;  and  especially  when  these  assertions  are  tri- 
umphantly employed  as  arguments  to  establish  other 
assertions  equally  unfounded,  it  is  time  to  vindicate 
the  truth.  To  do  this,  in  the  present  case,  is  an  easy 
task.  The  man  who,  after  perusing  the  foregoing 
extracts,  can  dare  to  say,  that  the  clergy  of  the  first 
three  centuries,  were  all  too  pious  and  disinterested 
to  admit  the  suspicion,  that  they  aspired  to  titles  and 
honours,  and  intrigued  for  the  attainment  of  episcopal 
chairs,  must  have  a  hardihood  of  incredulity,  or  an 
obliquity  of  perception  truly  extraordinary.  We  have 
seen  that  Hernias  plainly  refers  to  certain  ecclesiastics 
of  his  time,  who  had  "  envy  and  strife  among  them- 
selves concerning  dignity  and  pre-eminence."  Hege- 
sippus  goes  further,  and  points  out  the  case  of  a  parti- 
cular individual,  who  ambitiously  aspired  to  the  office 
of  bishop,  and  was  exceedingly  disappointed  and  mor- 
tified at  not  obtaining  it.  Cyprian  expressly  declares 
not  only  that  a  spirit  of  intrigue,  of  worldly  gain,  and 
of  ecclesiastical  domination,  existed  among  the  clergy 
of  his  day,  but  that  such  a  spirit  was  awfully  preva- 
lent among  them.  Eusebius  gives  us  similar  infor- 
mation in  still  stronger  terms.  Archbishop  Whitgift 
makes  the  same  acknowledgment,  more  particularly 
with  respect  to  the  bishops  of  that  period.  And  even 
Dr.  Bowden  acknowledges  that  a  number  of  persons, 
as  early  as  the  days  of  Cyprian,  and  before  his  time, 
who  aspired  to  the  office  of  bishop,  and  who  used 
every  effort  and  artifice  to  attain  it,  on  being  disap- 
pointed, distinguished  themselves  as  heretics  or  schis- 
matics, and  became  the  pests  of  the  church. 

H  85 


16  EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY. 

These  extracts  might  be  multiplied  twenty-fold. 
If  any  intelligent  reader  will  look  through  the  pages 
of  Clemens  Alexandrinus,  Tertullian,  Cyprian,  Origen, 
Chrysostom,  and,  above  all,  Basil,  to  name  no  more,  he 
will  find,  within  the  first  three  hundred  and  fifty,  or  four 
hundred  years,  an  amount  of  evidence  of  the  depravity 
of  ecclesiastics  which  will  amaze  and  revolt  him.  He 
will  find  evidence,  not  only  of  selfishness,  of  pride,  and 
of  grasping  ambition,  but  of  voluptuous  and  licentious 
habits,  with  the  description  of  which  I  cannot  pollute 
my  pages;  and  which  would  convince  every  impartial 
mind  that  not  merely  some,  but  large  numbers  of  them 
were  utterly  unprincipled  and  profligate. 

Now,  I  repeat,  if  any  man,  after  reading  such  ac- 
counts, can  lay  his  hand  on  his  heart,  and  say,  that 
there  is  no  evidence  that  the  ministers  of  the  Christian 
church,  even  for  the  first  two  hundred  years  after  the 
apostolic  age,  were  too  pious,  pure,  and  disinterested 
to  make  any  ambitious  attempts  to  usurp  power;  or 
to  pursue  their  own  aggrandizement  at  the  expense 
of  the  rights  and  claims  of  others;  I  say,  if  any  man, 
after  reading  the  foregoing  statements  and  citations 
can  lay  his  hand  on  his  heart,  and  say  this — he  must 
be  bhnded  by  a  prejudice  of  the  most  extraordinary 
kind.  Nay,  I  will  venture  to  assert,  that,  so  far  from 
having  reason  to  doubt  the  possibility  of  the  clergy 
of  those  early  times  striving  with  unhallowed  ambi- 
tion to  gain  the  upper  hand  of  each  other,  and  to  ob- 
tain titles  and  places;  if  they  were  really  such  men 
as  their  most  venerable  and  trust-worthy  contempo- 
raries describe — it  would  have  been  sometliing  border- 
ing on  miracle,  if  prelacy,  or  some  such  innovation  on 
the  simple  and  primitive  model  of  church  order,  had 
not  arisen. 
86 


EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY.  17 

Still,  however,  the  question  recurs ;  What,  in  those 
days  of  persecution  and  peril,  before  Christianity  was 
established,  when  the  powers  of  the  world  were 
leagued  against  it,  and  when  every  Christian  pastor 
especially  held  a  station  of  much  self-denial  and  dan- 
ger, what  could  induce  any  selfish  or  ambitious  man 
to  desire  the  pastoral  office,  and  to  intrigue  for  the 
extension  of  the  powers  and  honours  of  that  office  ? 
When  my  opponents  can  tell  me  what  induced  Judas 
Iscariot  to  follow  Christ,  at  the  risk  of  his  life;  when 
they  can  tell  me  what  impelled  Diotrephes.  to  desire 
the  pre-eminence  in  the  church;  or  what  were  the 
objects  of  Demas,  Hymenacus,  and  Alexander,  in 
their  restless  and  ambitious  conduct,  while  Calvary 
was  yet  smoking  with  the  blood  of  their  crucified 
Lord,  and  while  their  own  lives  were  every  moment 
exposed  to  the  rage  of  persecution  ; — when  my  oppo- 
nents can  tell  me  what  actuated  these  men,  I  shall  be 
equally  ready  to  assign  a  reason  for  the  early  rise  and 
progress  of  prelacy. 

But  there  is  no  need  of  retreating  into  the  obscu- 
rity of  conjecture,  when  causes  enough  to  satisfy  every 
mind  may  easily  be  assigned.  If  the  advocates  of 
Episcopacy  do  not  know  that  there  are  multitudes  of 
men,  in  all  ages,  in  the  church,  and  out  of  it,  who  are 
ready  to  court  distinction  merely  for  distinction's 
sake,  and  at  the  evident  hazard  of  their  lives,  they 
have  yet  much  to  learn  from  the  instructions  both  of 
human  nature  and  of  history.  But  this  is  not  all.  It 
is  a  notorious  fact,  that  the  office  of  bishop,  even  in 
those  early  times,  had  much  to  attract  the  cupidity, 
as  well  as  the  ambition  of  selfish  and  aspiring  men. 
The  revenues  of  the  primitive  church  were  large  and 
alluring.     It  is  granted  that,  during  the  first    threei 

2*  87 


18  EARLY  IIISE  OF  PRELACY. 

centuries,  the  church  held  Uttle  or  no  real  property; 
as  the  Roman  laws  did  not  allow  any  person  to  give 
or  bequeath  real  estates  to  ecclesiastical  bodies,  with- 
out the  consent  of  the  senate  or  the  emperor.  The 
contributions,  however,  which  were  made  to  the 
church,  for  the  support  of  the  clergy,  the  poor,  &c. 
were  immense.  During  the  apostolic  age,  the  pro- 
ceeds of  the  sale  of  real  estates  were  devoted  to  eccle- 
siastical and  charitable  purposes,  and  laid  at  the  apos- 
tles' feet.  We  find  the  gentile  churches  contributing 
liberally  to  the  relief  of  the  churches  of  Judea,  in  Acts 
xi.  29.  Rom.  XV.  26.  1  Cor.  xvi.  1,  and  2  Cor.  viii. 
The  same  liberality  manifested  itself  in  subsequent 
times.*  So  ample  were  the  funds  of  the  church  of 
Rome,  about  the  middle  of  the  second  century,  that 
they  were  adequate  not  only  to  the  support  of  her 
own  clergy  and  poor  members,  but  also  to  the  relief 
of  other  churches,  and  of  a  great  number  of  Christian 
captives  in  the  several  provinces,  and  of  such  as  were 
condemned  to  the  mines.!  Such  was  the  wealth  of 
the  same  church,  in  the  third  century,  that  it  was 
considered  as  an  object  not  unworthy  of  imperial  ra- 
pacity. By  order  of  the  Emperor  Decius,  the  Roman 
deacon  Laurentius  was  seized,  under  the  expectation 
of   finding    in   his    possession   the   treasures   of   the 

*  One  cause  of  the  liberality  of  the  primitive  Christians  in  their 
contributions  to  the  church,  was  the  notion  which  generally  prevail- 
ed,  that  the  end  of  the  world  was  at  hand.  This  notion  was  adopted 
by  some  of  the  early  fathers,  and  propagated  among  the  people  with 
great  diligence.  Cyprian  taught,  in  his  day,  with  great  confidence, 
that  the  dissolution  of  the  world  was  but  a  few  years  distant.  Ejiist. 
ad  Thihart.  The  tendency  of  this  opinion  to  diminish  the  self-denial 
of  parting  with  temporal  wealth  is  obvious.  See  Father  PauVs  Hist, 
of  Benefices  and  Revenues,  Chap.  II. 

t  Father  Paul's  Hist,  of  Ecclesiastical  Benefices  and  Revenues, 
Chap.  iii. 

88 


EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY.  19 

church,  and  of  transferring  them  to  the  coffers  of  the 
emperor:  but  the  vigilant  deacon,  fearing  the  avarice 
of  the  tj^rant,  had  distributed  them,  as  usual,  when  a 
persecution  was  expected.  Prudentius  introduces  an 
officer  of  the  emperor,  thus  addressing  the  deacon, 
Quod  Csesaris  scis,  Csesari  da,  nempe  justum  postulo  ; 
ni  fallor,  baud  ullam  tuus  signat  Deus  pecuniam,  /.  e. 
Give  to  Caesar  what  you  know  to  be  his,  I  asli  what 
is  just;  for  if  I  mistake  not,  your  God  coins  no 
money.* 

Now  the  revenues  of  the  churches,  whether  great 
or  small,  were  at  the  disposal  of  the  bishops.  The 
deacons  executed  their  orders.  Of  course  they  had 
every  opportunity  of  enriching  themselves  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  church.  And  that  they  not  unfrequently 
embraced  this  opportunity,  is  attested  by  Cyprian, 
who  laments  the  fact,  and  is  of  opinion  that  the  per- 
secution which  took  place  in  the  reign  of  Decius,  was 
intended  by  God  to  punish  a  guilty  people,  and  to 
purge  this  corruption  from  his  church.t  And  yet,  in 
the  face  of  all  this  testimony,  the  advocates  of  Epis- 
copacy permit  themselves  to  maintain  that  there  was 
no  temptation,  either  before  or  during  the  age  of 
Cyprian,  to  induce  any  man  to  desire  the  office  of 
bishop.  Nay,  they  tell  us,  that  to  suppose  there  was 
any  such  temptation,  is,  in  fact,  to  yield  the  argument, 
because  it  is  to  concede  that  the  office  then  included 
such  a  superiority  and  pre-eminence  of  rank  as  we 
utterly  ^deny.  Nothing  will  be  more  easy  than  to 
show  that  this  whole  plea  is  false,  and  every  thing 
founded  upon  it  worthless. 

*  Prudent,  in  Lib.  de  Coronis.     Father  Paul's  History  of  Ecclesi- 
astical Benefices  and  Revenues,  Chap.  iii. 
t  See  his  discourse  De  Lapsis,  before  quoted. 

h2  89 


20  EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY. 

The  love  of  pre-eminence  and  of  power  is  natural 
to  man.  It  is  one  of  the  most  early,  powerful,  and 
universal  principles  of  our  nature.  It  reigns  without 
control  in  wicked  men;  and  it  has  more  influence 
than  it  ought  to  have  in  the  minds  of  the  most  pure 
and  pious.  It  shows  itself  in  the  beggar's  cottage,  as 
well  as  on  the  imperial  throne;  in  the  starving  and 
gloomy  dungeon,  no  less  than  in  the  luxurious  palace. 
Nay,  it  has  been  known  to  show  itself  with  the  rack, 
the  gibbet,  and  the  flames  of  mart^^rdom  in  the  imme- 
diate prospect.  This  is  wonderful;  but  so  it  is.  And 
to  attempt  to  set  up  our  imaginary  reasonings  against 
the  fact,  is  in  the  highest  degree  presumptuous  and 
irrational. 

Now,  though  the  bishop,  for  the  first  two  centuries 
after  Christ,  was,  as  we  have  seen,  nothing  more  than 
a  mere  parochial  "overseer,"  in  other  words,  the 
pastor  of  a  single  church;  yet  his  office  was  not 
without  its  attractions.  It  was  a  place  of  honour  and 
of  trust.  He  was  looked  up  to  as  a  leader  and  guide. 
The  ruling  elders  and  deacons  of  the  parish  by  whom 
he  was  surrounded,  regarded  him  as  their  superior, 
and  treated  him  with  reverence.  And,  as  the  bounty 
distributed  by  the  deacons  was,  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent, directed  by  his  pleasure — the  poor,  of  course, 
considered  and  revered  him  both  as  their  spiritual  and 
temporal  benefactor;  and  gave  him  much  of  the  in- 
cense of  respect,  gratitude,  and  praise.  Here  was 
aibundandy  enough  to  tempt  an  humble  ecclesiastic 
in  those  days,  or  in  any  days.  There  are  thousands 
of  men — thousands  of  honest,  good  men,  quite  capa- 
ble of  being  attracted  by  such  fascinations  as  these. 
Many  an  humble  rectory;  many  a  plain,  and  even 
poor  pastoral  charge  has  been  sought,  from  that  time 
90 


EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY.  21 

to  the  present,  with  zeal  and  earnestness,  for  one  half 
the  temptation  which  has  been  described.  But  this 
was  not  all.  While  such  were  the  attractions  con- 
nected with  the  bishop's  office,  in  its  primitive  paro- 
chial form,  these  attractions  were  not  a  little  increased 
in  the  third  century,  when  ambition  sought  and  ob- 
tained some  extension  of  the  bishop's  prerogative; 
and  still  more  augmented  in  the  fourth,  when  worldly- 
pride  and  splendour  in  that  office  began  to  be  openly- 
enthroned  in  the  church. 

But  still  it  may  be  asked — Even  supposing  the 
clergy  of  the  first  three  centuries  to  have  been  capa- 
ble of  aspiring,  ambitious  conduct;  and  supposing  that 
there  were  temptations  to  induce  them  thus  to  aspire; 
can  we  suppose  that  their  unjust  claims  would  have 
been  calmly  yielded,  and  their  usurpations  submitted 
to  without  a  struggle  on  the  part  of  the  other  clergy, 
and  the  great  body  of  the  people?  If,  then,  such 
claims  were  made,  and  such  usurpations  effected,  why 
do  we  not  find,  in  the  early  history  of  the  church, 
some  account  of  a  change  so  notable,  and  of  conflicts 
so  severe  and  memorable  as  must  have  attended  its 
introduction? 

In  answer  to  this  question,  let  it  be  remembered, 
that  the  nations  over  which  the  Christian  religion  was 
spread  with  so  much  rapidity  during  the  first  three 
centuries,  were  sunk  in  deplorable  ignorance.  Grossly 
illiterate,  very  few  were  able  to  read ;  and  even  to 
these  few,  manuscripts  were  of  difficult  access.  At 
that  period,  popular  eloquence  was  the  great  engine 
of  persuasion;  and  where  the  character  of  the  mind 
is  not  fixed  by  reading,  and  a  consequent  habit  of  at- 
tention and  accurate  thinking,  it  is  impossible  to  say 
how  deeply  and  suddenly  it  may  be  operated  upon 

91 


22  EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY. 

by  such  an  engine.  A  people  of  this  description, 
wholly  unaccustomed  to  speculations  on  government; 
universally  subjected  to  despotic  rule  in  the  state; 
having  no  just  ideas  of  religious  liberty;  altogether 
unfurnished  with  the  means  of  communicating  and 
uniting  with  each  other,  which  the  art  of  printing  has 
since  afforded;  torn  with  dissensions  among  them- 
selves, and  liable  to  be  turned  about  with  every  wind 
of  doctrine;  such  a  people  could  offer  little  resistance 
to  those  who  were  ambitious  of  ecclesiastical  power. 
A  fairer  opportunity  for  the  few  to. take  the  advantage 
of  the  ignorance,  the  credulity,  the  divisions,  and  the 
weakness  of  the  many,  can  scarcely  be  imagined.  In 
truth,  under  these  circumstances,  ecclesiastical  usurpa- 
tion is  so  far  from  being  improbable,  that,  to  suppose 
it  not  to  have  taken  place,  would  be  to  suppose  a  con- 
tinued miracle. 

Nor  is  there  more  difficulty  in  supposing  that  these 
encroachments  were  submitted  to  by  the  clergy,  than 
by  the  people.  Some  yielded  through  fear  of  the  bold 
and  domineering  spirits  who  contended  for  seats  of 
honour;  some  with  the  hope  of  obtaining  preferment 
themselves  in  their  turn;  and  some  from  that  lethargy 
and  sloth  which  ever  prevent  a  large  portion  of  man- 
kind from  engaging  in  any  thing  which  requires  enter- 
prise and  exertion.  To  these  circumstances  it  may  be 
added,  that,  while  some  of  the  presbyters,  under  the 
name  of  bishops,  assumed  unscriptural  authority  over 
the  rest  of  that  order;  the  increasing  power  of  the 
latter  over  the  deacons,  and  other  subordinate  grades 
of  church  officers,  offered  something  like  a  recompense 
for  their  submission  to  those  who  claimed  a  power 
over  themselves. 

In  addition  to  all  these  circumstances,  it  is  to  be 
92 


EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY.  23 

recollected,  that  the  encroachments  and  the  change 
in  question  took  place  gradually.  The  advocates  of 
Episcopacy  sometimes  represent  us  as  teaching  that 
the  change  in  question  was  adopted  at  once,  or  by  a 
single  step.  We  believe  no  such  thing.  As  we  have 
seen,  Jerome  expressly  tells  us  that  prelacy  was 
brought  m,  paulatim — by  little  and  little.  It  was 
three  hundred  years  in  coming  to  maturity.  When 
great  strides  in  the  assumption  of  power  are  suddenly 
made,  they  seldom  fail  to  rouse  resentment,  and  ex- 
cite opposition.  But  when  made  artfully,  and  by 
slow  degrees,  nothing  is  more  common  than  to  see 
them  pass  without  opposition,  and  almost  without 
notice.  Instances  of  this  kind  among  nations  sunk  in 
ignorance,  and  long  accustomed  to  despotic  govern- 
ment, are  numberless;  and  they  are  by  no  means 
rare  even  among  the  more  enlightened.  The  British 
nation,  in  the  seventeenth  century,  saw  a  monarch 
restored  with  enthusiasm,  and  almost  without  oppo- 
sition, to  the  throne,  by  those  very  persons,  who,  a 
few  years  before,  had  dethroned  and  beheaded  his 
father,  and  declared  the  bitterest  hatred  to  royalty. 
At  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century,  one  of 
the  most  enlightened  nations  of  Europe,  in  a  little 
more  than  twelve  years  after  dethroning  and  decapi- 
tating a  mild  and  gentle  king,  and  after  denouncing 
kingly  government,  with  almost  every  possible  ex- 
pression of  abhorrence,  yielded,  without  a  struggle, 
to  the  will  of  a  despotic  usurper.  And,  still  more  re- 
cently, we  have  seen  a  people  enliglitened  and  free, 
who  had  for  more  than  two  centuries  maintained  and 
boasted  of  their  republican  character,  submit  ignobly 
and  at  once,  to  the  yoke  of  a  monarch  imposed  on 

93 


24  EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY. 

them  by  a  powerful  neighbour.  In  short,  the  most 
Umited  knowledge  of  human  nature,  and  of  history, 
shows  not  only  the  possibihty,  but  the  actual  and  fre- 
quent occurrence  of  changes  from  free  government  to 
tyranny  and  despotism,  in  a  much  shorter  period  than 
a  century;  and  all  this  in  periods  when  information 
was  more  equally  diffused,  and  the  principles  of  social 
order  much  better  understood,  than  in  the  second  and 
third  centuries  of  the  Christian  era. 

Nor  is  it  wonderful  that  we  find  so  little  said  con- 
cerning these  usurpations  in  the  early  records  of  anti- 
quity.- There  was  probably  but  little  written  on  the 
subject;  since  those  who  were  most  ambitious  to 
shine  as  writers,  were  most  likely  to  be  forward  in 
making  unscriptural  claims  themselves ;  and,  of  course, 
would  be  little  disposed  to  record  their  own  shame. 
It  is  likewise  probable,  that  the  little  that  was  written 
on  such  a  subject,  would  be  lost;  because  the  art  of 
printing  being  unknown,  and  the  trouble  and  expense 
of  multiplying  copies  being  only  incurred  for  the  sake 
of  possessing  interesting  and  popular  works,  it  was 
not  to  be  expected,  that  writings  so  hostile  to  the  am- 
bition and  vices  of  the  clergy,  would  be  much  read, 
if  it  were  possible  to  suppress  them.  And  when  to 
these  circumstances  we  add,  that  literature  after  the 
fourth  century,  was  chiefly  in  the  hands  of  ecclesias- 
tics; that  many  important  works  written  within  the 
first  three  centuries  are  known  to  be  lost;  and  that  of 
the  few  which  remain,  some  are  acknowledged  on  all 
hands,  to  have  been  grossly  corrupted,  and  radically 
mutilated,  we  cannot  wonder  that  so  little  in  explana- 
tion of  the  various  steps  of  clerical  usurpation  has 
reached  our  times. 

In  confirmation  of  this  reasoning,  a  variety  of  facts, 
94 


EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY.  25 

acknowledged  as  such  by  the  advocates  of  Episcopacy 
themselves,  may  be  adduced. 

The  first  is,  the  rise  of  archbishops  and  metropo- 
htans  in  the  chm'ch.  All  Protestant  Episcopalians, 
with  one  voice,  grant  that  all  bishops  were  originally 
equal;  that  archbishops,  metropoUtans,  and  patri- 
archs were  offices  of  human  invention,  and  had  no 
other  than  human  authority.  Yet  it  is  certain  that 
they  arose  very  nearly  as  soon  as  diocesan  bishops. 
In  fact  they  arose  so  early,  became  in  a  little  while 
so  general,  and  were  introduced  with  so  little  opposi- 
tion and  noise,  that  some  have  undertaken,  on  this 
very  ground,  to  prove  that  they  were  of  apostolical 
origin.  How  did  this  come  about?  How  did  it  hap- 
pen that  any  of  the  bishops  were  proud  or  ambitions 
enough  to  usurp  titles  and  powers  which  the  Master 
never  gave  them?  How  came  their  fellow-bishops 
to  submit  so  quietly  to  the  encroachment?  And  why 
is  it  that  we  have  quite  as  little  on  the  records  of  an- 
tiquity to  point  out  the  arts  and  steps  by  which  this 
usurped  pre-eminence  was  reached,  as  we  have  to 
show  the  methods  by  which  diocesan  Episcopacy  was 
established  ? 

Closely  connected  with  the  introduction  of  arch- 
bishops, and  other  grades  in  the  Episcopal  office,  is 
the  rise  and  progress  of  the  Papacy.  It  is  certain  that 
the  anti-christian  claims  of  the  Bishop  of  Rome  were 
begun  before  the  close  of  tlie  second  century.  The 
writings  of  Irenseus  and  Tertullian,  both  furnish  abun- 
dant evidence  of  this  fact.  Yet  the  records  of  antiquity 
give  so  little  information  respecting  the  various  steps 
by  which  this  "  man  of  sin"  rose  to  the  possession  of 
his  power ;  they  contain  so  little  evidence  of  any  effi- 
cient opposition  to  his  claims ;  and  represent  the  sub- 

3  95 


26  EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY. 

mission  of  the  other  bishops  as  being  so  early  and 
general,  that  the  Papists  attempt,  from  these  circum- 
stances, to  prove  the  divine  origin  of  their  system.  Yet 
what  Protestant  is  there  who  does  not  reject  this  rea- 
soning as  totally  fallacious,  and  conclude  that  the 
supremacy  of  the  Bishop  of  Rome  is  an  unscriptural 
usurpation?  And  although  the  most  impartial  and 
learned  divines  may  and  do  differ  among  themselves 
in  fixing  the  several  dates  of  tlie  rise,  progress,  and 
establishment  of  this  great  spiritual  usurper ;  yet  the 
fact  that  he  did  thus  rise,  and  advance,  and  erect  a 
tyrannical  throne  in  the  church,  contrary  to  all  that 
might  have  been  expected  both  from  the  piety  and 
the  selfishness  of  the  early  Christians,  is  doubted  by 
none. 

Accordingly,  this  view  of  the  gradual  and  insidious 
rise  of  prelacy  is  presented  by  a  number  of  the  most 
learned  and  impartial  ecclesiastical  historians.  Of 
these  a  specimen  will  be  given. 

The  first  whom  I  shall  quote  is  the  learned  Dr. 
Mosheim,  a  Lutheran  divine,  whose  Ecclesiastical 
History  has  been  for  a  century  the  theme  of  praise, 
for  the  general  impartiality  as  well  as  erudition  mani- 
fested by  its  author.  In  his  account  of  the  first  cen- 
tury, he  has  the  following  remarks:  "The  rulers  of 
the  church  at  this  time,  were  called  either  presbyters 
or  bishops,  which  two  titles  are  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment, undoubtedly  applied  to  the  same  order  of  men. 
These  were  persons  of  eminent  gravity,  and  such  as 
had  distinguished  themselves  by  their  superior  sanc- 
tity and  merit.  Their  particular  functions  were  not 
always  the  same;  for  while  some  of  them  confined 
their  labours  to  the  instruction  of  the  people,  others 
contributed  in  difierent  \vays  to  the  edification  of  the 
96 


EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY,  27 

church.  Such  was  the  constitution  of  the  Christian 
churcli  in  its  infancy,  when  its  assembUes  were  neither 
numerous  nor  splendid.  Three  or  four  presbyters, 
men  of  remarkable  piety  and  wisdom,  ruled  these 
smull  congregations  in  perfect  harmony,  nor  did  they 
stand  in  need  of  any  president  or  superior  to  maintain 
concord  and  order,  where  no  dissensions  were  known. 
But  the  number  of  the  presbyters  and  deacons  in- 
creasing with  that  of  the  churches,  and  the  sacred 
work  of  the  ministry  growing  more  painful  and 
weighty  by  a  number  of  additional  duties,  these  new 
circumstances  required  new  regulations.  It  was  then 
judged  necessary  that  one  man  of  distinguished  gravi- 
ty and  wisdom  should  preside  in  the  council  of  presby- 
ters, in  order  to  distribute  among  his  colleagues  their 
several  tasks,  and  to  be  a  centre  of  union  to  the  whole 
society.  This  person  was  at  first  styled  the  angel  of 
the  church  to  which  he  belonged;  but  was  afterwards 
distinguished  by  the  name  of  bishop  or  inspector;  a 
name  borrowed  from  the  Greek  language,  and  ex- 
pressing the  principal  part  of  the  Episcopal  function, 
which  was  to  inspect  into,  and  superintend  the  affairs 
of  the  church.  Let  none,  however,  confound  the 
bishops  of  this  primitive  and  golden  period  of  the 
church  with  those  of  whom  we  read  in  the  following 
ages.  For  though  they  were  both  distinguished  by 
the  same  name,  yet  they  differed  extremely,  and  that 
in  many  respects.  A  bishop,  during  the  first  and 
second  centuries,  was  a  person  who  had  the  care  of 
one  Christian  assembly,  which,  at  that  time,  was,  gen- 
erally speaking,  small  enough  to  be  contained  in  a  pri- 
vate house.  In  this  assembly  he  acted,  not  so  much 
with  the  authority  of  a  master,  as  with  the  zeal  and 
diligence  of  a  faithful  servant.  He  instructed  the 
I  97 


28  EARLY  RISE  OP  PRELACY. 

people,  performed  the  several  parts  of  divine  worship, 
attended  the  sick,  and  inspected  into  the  circumstances 
and  supplies  of  the  poor." — Eccles.  Hist.  I.  101.  104 
— 106.  Such  is  the  representation  which  this  learned 
historian  gives  of  the  government  of  the  Christian 
church  during  the  first,  and  tlie  greater  part  of  the 
second  century. 

Of  the  third  century  he  speaks  in  the  following 
manner:  "The  face  of  things  began  now  to  change 
in  the  Christian  church.  The  ancient  method  of  eccle- 
siastical government  seemed,  in  general,  still  to  sub- 
sist, while,  at  the  same  time,  by  imperceptible  steps, 
it  varied  from  the  primitive  rule,  and  degenerated 
towards  the  form  of  a  religions  monarchy.  For  the 
bishops  aspired  to  higher  degrees  of  power  and 
authority  than  they  had  formerly  possessed,  and  not 
only  violated  the  rights  6f  the  people,  but  also  made 
gradual  encroachments  upon  the  privileges  of  the 
presbyters.  And  that  they  might  cover  these  usurpa- 
tions with  an  air  of  justice,  and  an  appearance  of  rea- 
son, they  published  new  doctrines  concerning  the  na- 
ture of  the  church,  and  of  the  Episcopal  dignity.  One 
of  the  principal  authors  of  this  change  in  the  govern- 
ment of  the  church,  was  Cyprian,  who  pleaded  for 
the  power  of  the  bishops  with  more  zeal  and  vehe- 
mence than  had  ever  been  hitherto  employed  in  that 
cause.  This  change  in  the  form  of  ecclesiastical 
government  was  soon  followed  by  a  train  of  vices, 
which  dishonoured  the  character  and  authority  of 
those  to  whom  the  administration  of  the  church  was 
committed.  For  though  several  yet  continued  to 
exhibit  to  the  world  illustrious  examples  of  primitive 
piety  and  Christian  virtue,  yet  many  were  sunk  in 
Uixury  and  voluptuousness;  puffed  up  with  vanity, 
98 


EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY.  29 

arrogance,  and  ambition;  possessed  with  a  spirit  of 
contention  and  discord;  and  addicted  to  many  other 
vices,  that  cast  an  undeserved  reproach  upon  the  holy- 
religion  of  which  they  were  the  unworthy  professors 
and  ministers.  This  is  testified  in  such  an  ample 
manner,  by  the  repeated  complaints  of  many  of  the 
most  respectable  writers  of  this  age,  that  truth  will 
not  permit  us  to  spread  the  veil  which  we  should 
otherwise  be  desirous  to  cast  over  such  enormities 
among  an  order  so  sacred.  The  bishops  assumed,  in 
many  places,  a  princely  authority.  They  appropri- 
ated to  their  evangelical  function,  the  splendid  ensigns 
of  temporal  majesty.  A  throne  surrounded  with 
ministers,  exalted  above  his  equals  the  servant  of  the 
meek  and  humble  Jesus;  and  sumptuous  garments 
dazzled  the  eyes  and  the  minds  of  the  multitude  into 
an  ignorant  veneration  for  their  arrogated  authority. 
The  example  of  the  bishops  was  ambitiously  imitated 
by  the  presbyters,  who,  neglecting  the  sacred  duties 
of  their  station,  abandoned  themselves  to  the  indo- 
lence and  delicacy  of  an  effeminate  and  luxurious 
life.  The  deacons,  beholding  the  presbyters  deserting 
thus  their  functions,  boldly  usurped  their  rights  and 
privileges;  and  the  effects  of  a  corrupt  ambition  were 
spread  through  every  rank  of  the  sacred  order." — I. 
265—267. 

I  shall  only  add  a  short  extract  from  the  same  wri- 
ter's account  of  the  fourth  century.  "  The  bishops, 
whose  opulence  and  authority  were  considerably  in- 
creased since  the  reign  of  Constantine,  began  to  intro- 
duce gradually  innovations  into  the  form  of  ecclesi- 
astical discipline,  and  to  change  the  ancient  govern- 
ment of  the  church.  Their  first  step  was  an  entire 
exclusion  of  the  people  from  all  part  in  the  adminis- 

3*  99 


30  EARLY  RISE   OF  PRELACY. 

tration  of  ecclesiastical  affairs;  and  afterwards,  they, 
by  degrees,  divested  even  the  presbyters  of  their  an- 
cient privileges,  and  their  primitive  authority,  that 
they  might  have  no  importunate  protesters  to  control 
their  ambition,  or  oppose  their  proceedings;  and  prin- 
cipally that  they  might  either  engross  to  themselves, 
or  distribute  as  they  thought  proper,  the  possessions 
and  revenues  of  the  church.  Hence  it  came  to  pass 
that  at  the  conclusion  of  the  fourth  century,  there 
remained  no  more  than  a  mere  shadow  of  the  ancient 
government  of  the  church.  Many  of  the  privileges 
which  had  formerly  belonged  to  the  presbyters  and 
people,  were  usurped  by  the  bishops;  and  many  of 
the  rights  which  had  been  formerly  vested  in  the  Uni- 
versal Church,  were  transferred  to  the  emperors,  and 
to  subordinate  officers  and  magistrates." — I.  348. 

Such  is  the  representation  of  Mosheim,  one  of  the 
most  learned  men  of  the  eighteenth  century;  and  who 
had  probably  investigated  the  early  history  of  the 
church  with  as  much  diligence  and  penetration  as  any 
man  that  ever  hved. 

The  next  citation  shall  be  taken  from  Gibbon's 
"  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire."  The  hos- 
tility of  this  writer  to  the  Christian  religion  is  well 
known.  Of  course,  on  any  subject  involving  the 
divine  origin  of  Christianity,  I  should  feel  little  dispo- 
sition either  to  respect  his  judgment,  or  to  rely  on  his 
assertions.  But  on  the  subject  before  us,  which  is  a 
question  of  fact,  and  which  he  treats  historically,  he 
had  no  temptation  to  deviate  from  impartiality;  or,  if 
such  temptation  had  existed,  it  would  have  been  likely 
to  draw  him  to  the  side  of  ecclesiastical  aristocracy 
and  splendour,  rather  than  to  that  of  primitive  sim- 
plicity. In  fact,  his  leaning  to  the  external  show  of 
100 


EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY.  31 

Romanism  is  well  known.  His  deep  and  extensive 
learning,  no  competent  judge  ever  questioned:  and, 
indeed,  his  representations  on  this  subject  are  fortified 
by  so  many  references  to  the  most  approved  writers, 
that  they  cannot  be  considered  as  resting  on  his  can- 
dour or  veracity  alone.* 

Mr.  Gibbon  thus  describes  the  character  and  duties 
of  Christian  bishops  in  the  first  and  second  centuries: 
"  The  public  functions  of  religion  were  solely  entrusted 
to  the  established  ministers  of  the  church,  the  bishops 
and  the  presbyters;  two  appellations  which,  in  their 
first  origin,  appear  to  have  distinguished  the  same 
office,  and  the  same  order  of  persons.  The  name  of 
presbyter  was  expressive  of  their  age,  or  rather  of 
their  gravity  and  wisdom.  The  title  of  bishop  de- 
noted their  inspection  over  the  faith  and  manners  of 
the  Christians  who  were  committed  to  their  pastoral 
care.  In  proportion  to  the  respective  numbers  of  the 
faithful,  a  larger  or  sm.aller  number  of  these  episcopal 
presbyters  guided  each  infant  congregation,  with  equal 
authority,  and  with  united  counsels.  But  the  most 
perfect  equality  of  freedom  requires  the  directing  hand 
of  a  superior  magistrate;  and  the  order  of  public  delib- 
erations soon  introduces  the  office  of  a  president,  in- 
vested at  least  with  the  authority  of  collecting  the  sen- 
timents, and  of  executing  the  resolutions  of  the  assem- 
bly.   A  regard  for  the  public  tranquillity,  which  would 

*  The  pious  Episcopal  divine,  Dr.  Haweis,  speaking  of  Mr.  Gib- 
bon's mode  of  representing-  this  subject,  expresses  himself  in  the  fol- 
lowing  manner :  "  Where  no  immediate  bias  to  distort  the  truth  leaves 
liim  an  impartial  witness,  I  will  quote  Gibbon  with  pleasure,  I  am 
conscious  his  authority  is  more  likely  to  weigh  with  the  world  in  gen- 
eral, than  mine.  I  will,  therefore,  simply  report  his  account  of  the 
government  and  nature  of  the  primitive  church.  I  think  we  shall  not 
m  this  point  greatly  differ." — Eccles.  Hist.  I.  416. 

1 2  101 


32  EARLY  RISE  OF  PREEACV. 

SO  frequently  have  been  interrupted  by  annual,  or  by 
occasional  elections,  induced  the  primitive  Christians 
to  constitute  an  honourable  and  perpetual  magistracy, 
and  to  choose  one  of  the- wisest  and  most  holy  among 
their  presbyters,  to  execute,  during  his  life,  the  duties 
of  their  ecclesiastical  governor.  It  was  under  these 
circumstances  that  the  lofty  title  of  bishop  began  to 
raise  itself  above  the  humble  appellation  of  presbyter; 
and  while  the  latter  remained  the  most  natural  dis- 
tinction for  the  members  of  every  Christian  senate, 
the  former  was  appropriated  to  the  dignity  of  its  new 
president.  The  pious  and  humble  presbyters  who 
were  first  dignified  with  the  Episcopal  title,  could  not 
possess,  and  would  probably  have  rejected  the  power 
and  pomp  which  now  encircle  the  tiara  of  the  Roman 
pontiff,  or  the  mitre  of  a  German  prelate.  The  primi- 
tive bishops  were  considered  only  as  the  first  of  their 
equals,  and  the  honourable  servants  of  a  free  people. 
Whenever  the  Episcopal  chair  became  vacant  by 
death,  a  new  president  was  chosen  among  the  pres- 
byters, by  the  suffrage  of  the  whole  congregation. 
Such  was  -  the  mild  and  equal  constitution  by  which 
the  Christians  were  governed  more  than  a  hundred 
years  after  the  death  of  the  apostles."* — Decline  and 
Fall,\o\.  II.  272—275. 

Concerning  the  state  of  Episcopacy  in  the  third 
century,  Mr.  Gibbon  thus  speaks :  "  As  the  legisla- 
tive authority  of  the  particular  churches  was  insensi- 
bly superseded  by  the  use  of  councils,  the  bishops 
obtained,  by  their  alliance,  a  much  larger  share  of 

*  Here  is  an  explicit  declaration,  that  the  presidency  or  standing 

moderatorship  of  one  of  the  presbyters,  among  his  colleagues,  without 

any  claim  to  superiority  of  order,  was  the  only  kind  of  Episcopacy 

that  existed  in  the  church,  until  near  the  close  of  the  second  century. 

102 


EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACT.  33 

executive  and  arbitrary  power ;  and,  as  soon  as  they 
were  connected  by  a  sense  of  their  common  interest, 
they  were  enabled  to  attack  with  united  vigour  the 
original  rights  of  the  clergy  and  people.  The  prelates 
of  the  third  century  imperceptibly  changed  the  lan- 
guage of  exhortation  into  that  of  command,  scattered 
the  seeds  of  future  usurpations;  and  supplied  by  Scrip- 
ture allegories,  and  declamatory  rhetoric,  their  defi- 
ciency of  force  and  of  reason.  They  exalted  the  unity 
and  power  of  the  church,  as  it  was  represented  in  the 
Episcopal  office,  of  Avhich  every  bishop  enjoyed  an 
equal  and  undivided  portion.  Princes  and  magistrates, 
it  was  often  repeated,  might  boast  an  earthly  claim  to 
a  transitory  dominion.  It  was  the  Episcopal  authority 
alone,  which  was  derived  from  the  Deity,  and  ex- 
tended itself  over  this,  and  over  another  world.  The 
bishops  were  the  vicegerents  of  Christ,  the  successors 
of  the  apostles,  and  the  mystic  substitutes  of  the  high 
priest  of  the  Mosaic  law.  Their  exclusive  privilege 
of  conferring  the  sacerdotal  character,  invaded  the 
freedom  both  of  clerical  and  of  popular  elections  ;  and 
if,  in  the  administration  of  the  church,  they  some- 
times consulted  the  judgment  of  the  presbyters,  or  the 
inclination  of  the  people,  they  most  carefully  incul- 
cated the  merit  of  such  a  voluntary  condescension." 
I.  p.  276,  277. 

Dr.  Haweis,  an  Episcopal  divine,  in  his  Ecclesias- 
tical History,  a  late  and  popular  work,  before  quoted, 
substantially  agrees  with  Dr.  Mosheim  and  Mr.  Gib- 
bon, in  their  representations  on  this  subject.  He  ex- 
plicitly pronounces  with  them,  that  primitive  Episco- 
pacy was  parochial,  and  not  diocesan ;  that  clerical 
pride  and  ambition  gradually  introduced  prelacy;  that 
there  was  no  material  innovation,  however,  on  the 

103 


34  EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY. 

primitive  model,  until  the  middle  of.  the  second  cen- 
tury ;  and  that  after  this,  the  system  of  imparity  made 
rapid  progress,  until  there  arose,  in  succession,  dioce- 
san bishops,  archbishops,  metropolitans,  patriarchs, 
and,  finally,  the  Pope  himself. 

I  shall  only  add  one  more  to  this  class  of  testimo- 
nies. It  is  that  of  the  celebrated  Professor  Neander, 
of  Prussia,  probably  the  most  deeply  learned  eccle- 
siastical antiquary  now  living.  And  his  connexion 
with  the  Lutheran  Church,  as  before  observed,  ex- 
empts him  from  all  suspicion  of  strong  prejudice  in 
favour  of  either  Prelacy  or  Presbyterianism.  His 
statement  on  the  subject  is  so  extended  and  circuitous, 
that  it  is  necessary  to  present  an  abridgment  rather 
than  the  whole,  in  this  place.  He  expresses  a  de- 
cisive opinion,  then,  that  prelacy  was  not  esta- 
blished by  the  apostles ;  that  nothing  more  than  a 
moderator  of  each  parochial  presbytery  existed  for 
nearly  two  hundred  years  after  Christ;  that  these 
parochial  moderators  or  "presiding  elders,"  had  no 
higher  office  than  their  colleagues  in  the  eldership, 
being  only  primi  inter  j^cires,  i.  e.  the  first  among 
equals ;  and  that  as  the  first  Christian  spirit  declined, 
the  spirit  of  ambition  and  encroachment  gained  ground 
against  the  "Presbyterian  system,"  as  he  emphati- 
cally styles  the  apostolical  model.  And,  accordingly, 
in  speaking  of  the  straggle  of  Cyprian  against  his 
opponents,  in  the  third  century,  he  styles  the  success 
of  the  former  against  the  latter,  as  the  triumph  of  the 
Episcopal  system  over  "Presbyterianism."* 

The  fact  being  thus  established,  that  diocesan  Epis- 
copacy was  not  sanctioned  by  the  apostles;  that  it 

*  History  of  the  Christian  Church,  vol.  i.  p.  194,  238.   London  edi- 
tion.    Rose's  translation. 
104 


EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY.  35 

was  the  offspring  of  human  ambition ;  and  that  it 
Avas  gradually  introduced  into  the  church;  I  shall  not 
dwell  long  on  the  precise  gradations  by  which  it  was 
introduced,  or  the  precise  date  to  be  assigned  to  each 
step  in  its  progress.  Such  an  inquiry  is  as  unneces- 
sary and  unimportant  as  it  is  difficult.  But  as  it  may 
gratify  some  readers  to  know  how  those  who  have 
most  deeply  and  successfully  explored  antiquity,  have 
considered  the  subject,  I  shall  attempt  a  sketch  of  what 
appears  to  have  been  the  rise  and  progress  of  this  re- 
markable usurpation. 

The  Christian  reUgion  spread  itself  during  the  apos- 
tolic age,  over  a  large  part  of  the  Roman  empire.  It 
was  first  received  in  the  principal  cities,  Jerusalem, 
Antioch,  Ephesus,  Corinth,  and  Rome.  Here  con- 
gregations appear  to  have  been  first  formed,  and 
church  officers  first  appointed.  As  the  places  of  wor- 
ship were  usually  private  houses,  it  follows  of  course 
that  each  congregation  was  comparatively  small.  And 
as  we  read  of  great  multitudes  having  believed  in 
several  of  the  larger  cities,  we  may  infer  that  there 
were  a  number  of  these  congregations,  or  small  house- 
churches  in  each  of  those  cities;  without,  however, 
being  so  distinctly  divided  into  separate  societies  as  is 
common  at  the  present  day. 

Each  primitive  congregation  was  probably  fur- 
nished with  one  or  more  elders,  and  also  with  dea- 
cons. The  elders  were  of  two  kinds:  the  first  class 
were  ministers  of  the  gospel,  and  therefore  taught  and 
led  the  devotions  of  the  people,  as  well  as  ruled  in 
the  church.  The  other  class  assisted  as  rulers  only. 
It  is  not  certain  that  both  these  classes  of  elders  were 
found  in  every  church.  We  only  know  that  they  both 
existed  in  the  apostolic  age ;  and  that  all  the  elders  of 

105 


36  EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY. 

each  congregation,  when  convened,  formed  a  kind  of 
parochial  presbytery,  or  church 'session.  The  teaching 
elders  were  also  called  bishops.  Of  these  each  con- 
gregation was  always  furnished  with  one,  and  some- 
times with  several,  according  to  the  number  of  its 
members,  and  other  circimistances.  We  are  expressly 
told  in  the  sacred  history,  that  in  the  days  of  the  apos- 
tles there  were  a  number  of  bishops  in  each  of  the 
cities  of  Ephesus  and  Philippi ;  and  it  is  most  proba- 
ble that  these  were  the  pastors  of  different  congrega- 
tions in  those  cities  respectively. 

In  those  cases  in  which  there  were  several  pastors 
or  bishops  in  the  same  church,  they  were  at  first  per- 
fectly and  in  all  respects  equal.  ^*They  ruled  the 
church,'^  as  Jerome  expresses  it,  "in  common  ;"  and 
the  alternate  titles  of  bishop  and  elder  belonged  and 
were  equally  appUed  to  all.  It  does  not  appear,  that 
in  the  beginning,  even  a  temporary  chairman  was 
found  necessary.  There  was  probably  little  formality 
in  their  mode  of  transacting  business.  A  large  por- 
tion of  the  spirit  of  their  Master  supplied  the  place 
of  specific  rules,  and  of  energetic  government.  But 
towards  the  close  of  the  first  century,  when  both 
churches  and  ministers  had  greatly  multiplied ;  when 
it  was  common  to  have  a  number  of  teaching  as  well 
as  ruling  elders  in  the  same  congregation;  when,  with 
the  increasing  number,  it  is  most  probable  that  some 
unworthy  characters  had  crept  into  the  ministry  ;  and 
when,  of  course,  the  preservation  of  order  in  their  pa- 
rochial presbyteries  was  more  difficult,  the  expedient 
of  appointing  a  president  or  moderator  would  natu- 
rally and  almost  unavoidably  be  adopted.  This  pre- 
siding presbyter  was  generally,  at  first,  the  oldest  and 
gravest  of  the  number;  bat  soon  afterwards,  as  we 
106 


EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY.  37 

are  told,  the  rule  of  seniority  was  laid  aside,  and  the 
most  able,  enterprising,  and  decisive  presbyter,  was 
chosen  to  fill  the  chair.  After  a  while,  the  choice  of 
a  president  was  not  made  at  every  meeting  of  the 
parochial  presbytery,  or  church  session,  but  was  made 
for  an  indefinite  time,  and  sometimes  for  life ;  in 
which  case  the  choice  usually  fell  upon  the  person 
who  had  the  most  influence,  and  was  supposed  to  pos- 
sess the  greatest  weight  of  character.  This  chairman 
or  moderator,  who  presided  daring  the  debates,  col- 
lected the  voices,  and  pronounced  the  sentences  of  the 
bench  of  presbyters,  was,  of  course,  the  most  con- 
spicuous and  dignified  of  tlie  number.  He  had  no 
pre-eminence  of  order  over  his  brethren;  but  (to  em- 
ploy the  illustration  of  a  respectable  Episcopal  divine, 
before  quoted,)  as  the  chairman  of  a  committee  has  a 
more  honourable  place  than  the  rest  of  the  members, 
while  the  committee  is  sitting;  so  a  chairman  for  life, 
in  a  dignified  ecclesiastical  court,  was  generally  re- 
garded with  peculiar  respect  and  veneration.  In  con- 
ducting public  worship,  this  chairman  always  took 
the  lead  ;  as  the  organ  of  the  body,  he  called  the  other 
presbyters  to  the  performance  of  the  several  parts 
assigned  to  them;  and  usually  himself  prayed  and 
preached.  When  the  bench  of  presbyters  was  called 
to  perform  an  ordination,  the  chairman,  of  course, 
presided  in  this  transaction;  and  in  general,  hi  all  acts 
of  the  church  session  or  consistory,  he  took  the  lead, 
and  was  the  principal  medium  of  communication. 

This  practice  of  choosing  a  president  in  the  con- 
sistorial  court  appears  to  have  begun  in  a  short  time 
after  the  death  of  the  apostles,  and  to  have  been  the 
only  kind  of  pre-eminence  that  was  enjoyed  by  any 
of  the  bishops,  over  their  brethren,  until  the  close  of 

4  107 


38  EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY. 

the  second  century.  Indeed  Jerome  declares,  that  this 
was  the  only  kind  of  Episcopal  pre-eminence  that  ex- 
isted in  the  church  of  Alexandria,  one  of  the  most 
conspicuous  then  in  the  world,  until  the  middle  of  the 
third  century.  That  such  was  the  only  superiority 
which  the  principal  pastor  of  each  church  enjoyed  in 
primitive  times,  and  that  such  was  the  origin  of  this 
superiority,  is  evident,  not  only  from  the  direct  testi- 
mony of  antiquity,  but  also,  indirectly  from  the 
names  by  which  this  officer  is  generally  distinguished 
by  the  early  writers.  He  is  not  only  called  emphati- 
cally the  bishop  of  the  church,  but,  as  all  his  col- 
leagues also  had  the  title  of  bishop,  he  is,  perhaps, 
more  frequently  styled,  by  way  of  distinction,  the 
president,  (n^oforw?)  the  chairman,  (npofSpo?,)  and  the 
person  who  filled  the  first  seat,  {npcjtoxaOs^^La,)  in  the 
presbytery.  Had  we  no  other  evidence  in  the  case, 
these  titles  alone  would  go  far  tov/ards  establishing 
the  origin  and  nature  of  his  pre-eminence. 

The  powers  of  this  chairman  were  gradually  in- 
creased. In  some  cases  his  own  ambition,  and,  in 
others,  the  exigencies  of  particular  times  and  places, 
at  once  multipHed  his  duties,  enlarged  his  authority, 
and  augmented  his  honours.  Not  only  the  ruhng 
elders,  but  also  his  colleagues  in  the  ministry  were  led 
insensibly  to  look  upon  him  with  peculiar  reverence. 
His  presence  began  to  be  deemed  necessary,  at  first 
to  the  regularity,  and  afterwards  to  the  validity  of  all 
the  proceedings  of  the  bench  of  presbyters.  And  as 
his  office,  in  those  times,  was  a  post  of  danger  as  well 
as  of  honour,  the  rest  of  the  presbyters  would  more 
readily  submit  to  the  claims  of  a  man  who  put  his 
life  in  his  hand  to  serve  the  church.  This  may  be 
called  the  first  step  in  the  rise  of  prelacy.  The  ex- 
108 


EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY.  39 

ample  once  set  in  some  of  the  principal  cities,  was 
probably  soon  adopted  in  the  less  populous  towns, 
and  in  the  country  churches. 

This  measure  led  to  another  equally  natural.  The 
pastors  or  bishops  who  resided  in  the  same  city,  or 
neighbourhood,  were  led  on  different  occasions  to 
meet  together,  to  consult  and  to  transact  various  kinds 
of  business.  Their  meetings  were  probably  at  first 
attended  with  very  little  formality.  In  a  short  time, 
however,  as  Christianity  gained  ground,  they  came 
together  more  frequently;  had  more  business  to  trans- 
act; and  found  it  expedient  to  be  more  formal  in  their 
proceedings.  A  president  or  chairman  became  ne- 
cessary, as  in  the  smaller  presbytery  or  church  session. 
Such  an  officer  was  accordingly  chosen,  sometimes  at 
each  meeting,  but  more  frequently  for  an  indefiuite 
period,  or  for  life.  Whatever  number  of  congregations 
and  of  ministers  were  thus  united  under  a  presbytery, 
they  were  styled,  (upon  a  principle  of  ecclesiastical 
unity  which  was  then  common,)  one  church.  The 
standing  moderator  or  president  of  this  larger  presby- 
tery, was  styled  the  bishop  of  the  city  in  which  he 
presided.  This  was  a  second  step  towards  prelacy. 
At  what  precise  time  it  was  taken,  is  difficult  to  be 
ascertained.  But  before  the  middle  of  the  third  cen- 
tury, so  greatly  increased  were  the  affluence  and  pride 
of  ecclesiastics,  that  the  claims  of  this  presiding  pres- 
byter began  to  be  large  and  confident.  As  he  offi- 
cially superintended  the  execution  of  the'  decrees  of 
the  assembly,  his  power  gradually  increased ;  and  it 
was  a  short  transition  from  the  exercise  of  power  in 
the  name  of  others,  to  the  exercise  of  it  without  con- 
sulting them. 

In  the  towns  where  there  was  but  one  congregation, 
K  109 


40  EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY. 

and  tliat  a  small  one,  there  was  generally  but  one 
leaching  presbyter  associ^ated  with  a  number  of  ruling 
presbyters.  This  was  the  pastor  or  bishop.  When 
the  congregation  increased,  and  the  introduction  of 
other  teachers  was  found  necessary,  the  first  retained 
his  place  as  sole  pastor,  and  the  others  came  in  as  his 
assistants;  and  although  of  the  same  order  with  him- 
self, yet  he  alone  was  the  responsible  pastor.  In  short, 
the  rest  of  the  teaching  presbyters  in  this  case,  bore 
precisely  the  same  relation  to  the  bishop,  on  the  score 
of  rank,  as  curates  bear  to  the  rector  in  a  large.  Epis- 
copal congregation.  They  bore  the  same  office.  They 
were  clothed  with  the  same  official  power  of  preach- 
ing and  administering  ordinances  with  the  pastor,  and 
were  capable,  without  any  further  ordination,  pf  be- 
coming pastors  in  their  turn;  but  while  they  remained 
in  this  situation,  their  labours  were  chiefly  directed  by 
him.  As  a  congregation  under  these  circumstances 
increased  still  more,  and  included  a  number  of  mem- 
bers from  the  neighbouring  villages,  some  of  these 
members,  finding  it  inconvenient  to  attend  the  church 
in  which  the  bishop  officiated  every  Lord's  day,  be- 
gan to  lay  plans  for  forming  separate  congregations 
nearer  home.  To  this  the  bishop  consented,  on  con- 
dition that  the  little  worshipping  societies  thus  formed, 
should  consider  themselves  as  still  under  his  pastoral 
care,  as  amenable  to  the  parent  church,  and  as  bound 
to  obey  him  as  their  spiritual  guide.  When  the  pas- 
tor agreed  -to  this  arrangement,  it  was  generally  un- 
derstood, that  there  should  be  but  one  communion 
table,  and  one  baptistery  in  the  parish;  and,  of  course, 
that  when  the  members  of  these  neighbouring  socie- 
ties wished  to  enjoy  either  of  the  seahng  ordinances, 
they  were  to  attend  at  the  parent  church,  and  receive 
110 


EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY.  41 

them  from  the  hands  of  the  pastor  or  bishop  himself. 
At  ordinary  seasons  they  were  suppUed  by  his  curates 
or  assistants,  who,  in  labouring  in  these  little  oratories 
or  chapels  of  tase,  were  subject  to  his  control.  There 
was,  however,  but  "  one  altar" — one  communion  table 
— one  baptistery  allowed  in  his  parish.  This  was 
laying  a  foundation  for  the  authority  of  one  bishop 
or  pastor  over  several  congregations,  which  was  not 
long  afterwards  claimed  and  generally  yielded.  This 
proved  a  third  step  in  the  rise  of  prelacy. 

The  progress  of  the  church  towards  prelacy  was 
further  aided  by  the  practice  of  convening  synods 
and  councils.  This  practice  began  at  an  early  period, 
and  soon  became  genepal.  The  Latins  styled  these 
larger  meetings  of  the  clergy  Councils,  the  Greeks 
Synods;  and  the  laws  which  were  enacted  by  these 
bodies,  were  denominated  Canons,  i.  e.  Rules.  "  These 
councils,"  says  Dr.  Mosheim,  **  changed  the  whole 
face  of  the  church,  and  gave  it  a  new  form."  Tlie 
order  and  decorum  of  their  business  required  that  a 
president  should  be  appointed.  The  power  lodged 
in  this  officer  scarcely  ever  failed  to  be  extended  and 
abused.  These  synods  were  accustomed  to  meet  ifi 
the  capital  cities  of  the  district  or  province  to  which 
the  members  belonged,  and  to  confer  the  presidency 
upon  the  most  conspicuous  pastor,  for  the  time  being, 
of  the  city  in  which  they  met.  And  thus,  by  the 
gradual  operation  of  habit,  it  came  to  be  considered 
as  the  right  of  those  persons,  and  of  their  successors 
in  office.  "  Hence,"  says  the  learned  historian  just 
quoted,  "  the  rights  of  metropolitans  derive  their  ori- 
gin." The  order  of  the  church  required,  at  first,  the 
presence  of  the  presiding  bishops,  to  give  regularity 
lo  the  acts  of  synods  and  councils.     In  a  little  while 

4*  111 


42  EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY. 

their  presence  was  deemed  necessary  to  the  validity 
of  these  acts;  and,  in  the  third  century,  it  began  to  be 
beUev^ed  tliat  without  them  nothing  could  be  done. 
Such  is  the  ordinary  progress  of  human  affairs.  The 
increase  of  wealth,  the  decay  of  piety,  the  corruption 
of  morals,  and  the  prevalence  of  heresy  and  conten- 
tion, were  all  circumstances  highly  favourable  to  the 
progress  of  this  change,  and  concurring  with  Jewish 
prejudices,  pagan  habits,  and  clerical  ambition,  hurried 
on  the  growing  usurpation. 

That  the  synods  and  councils  which  early  began 
to  be  convened,  were,  in  fact,  thus  employed  by  the 
ambitious  clergy,  to  extend  and  confirm  their  power, 
might  be  proved  by  witnesses  almost  numberless. 
The  testimony  of  one  shall  suffice.  It  is  that  of  the 
eminent  Bishop  Gregory  Nazianzen,  who  lived  in  the 
fourth  century,  and  who,  on  being  summoned  by  the 
emperor  to  the  general  Council  of  Constantinople, 
which  met  in  381,  addressed  a  letter  to  Procopius,  to 
excuse  himself  from  attending.  In  this  letter  he  de- 
clares, "  that  he  was  desirous  of  avoiding  all  synods, 
because  he  had  never  seen  a  good  effect,  or  happy 
conclusion  of  any  one  of  them;  that  they  rather  in- 
creased than  lessened  the  evils  they  were  designed  to 
prevent;  and  that  the  love  of  contention,  and  the  lust 
of  power,  were  there  manifested  in  instances  innu- 
merable."— Greg.  Naz.  Oper.  torn.  I.  p.  814.  Epistle 
55. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  third  century,  the  title  of 
bishop  was  seldom  applied  to  any  other  of  the  pres- 
byters, than  the  different  classes  of  presidents  before 
mentioned.  The  only  shadow  which  now  remained 
of  its  former  use  was  in  the  case  of  the  pastors  of 
country  parishes,  who  still  maintained  the  parochial 
112 


EARLY  RISE  OP  PRELACY.  43 

Episcopacy,  under  the  name  of  Chorepiscopi.  The 
ordaming  power,  originally  vested  in  all  presbyters 
alike,  was  in  the  third  century  seldom  exercised  by 
presbyters,  unless  the  presiding  presbyter,  or  bishop, 
was  present.  About  this  time,  the  name  of  presbyter 
was  changed  into  that  of  priest,  in  consequence  of  the 
unscriptural  and  irrational  doctrine  coming  into  vogue, 
that  the  Christian  ministry  was  modelled  after  the 
Jewish  priesthood.  About  this  time  also  the  o'ffice  of 
ruling  elder  appears  to  have  been  chiefly  laid  aside, 
because  discipline  became  unfashionable,  and  was  put 
down,  and  a  part  of  the  ministry  of  the  word  bestowed 
upon  deacons,  contrary  to  the  original  design  of  their 
office,  which  was  to  superintend  the  maintenance  of 
the  poor.  The  presbytery  sunk  into  the  bishop's 
council.  The  synod  subserved  the  pretensions  of  the 
metropolitan;  and  there  was  only  wanting  a  general 
council,  and  a  chief  bishop,  to  complete  the  hierarchy: 
both  of  which  were  not  long  afterwards  compliantly 
furnished.  In  the  meantime,  the  few  humble  admir- 
ers of  primitive  parity  and  simplicity,  who  dared  to 
remonstrate  against  these  usurpations,  were  reviled 
as  promoters  of  faction  and  schism,  and  either  thrust 
out  of  the  church,  or  awed  into  silence. 

When  Constantine  came  to  the  imperial  throne,  in 
the  fourth  century,  he  confirmed  the  usurpation  of  the 
bishops  by  his  authority,  and  bestowed  upon  them  a 
degree  of  wealth  and  power  to  which  they  had  before 
been  strangers.  He  conferred  new  splendour  on 
every  part  of  the  ecclesiastical  system.  He  fostered 
every  thing  which  had  a  tendency  to  convert  religion 
from  a  spiritual  service  into  a  gaudy,  ostentatious, 
dazzling  ritiml;  and  its  ministers  into  lords  over  God's 
heritage,  instead  of  examples  to  the  flock.  Old  Tes- 
K  2  113 


44  EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY. 

tament  rites,  heathen  ceremonies,  aud  institutions  of 
worldly  policy,  which  had  long  before  begun  to  enter 
the  church,  now  rushed  in  like  a  flood.  And,  wliat 
was  worse,  the  great  mass  of  the  people,  as  well  as  of 
the  clergy,  were  gratified  with  the  change.  The  Jew- 
ish proselyte  was  pleased  to  see  the  resemblance 
which  the  economy  of  the  Christian  church  began  to 
bear  to  the  ancient  temple-service.  The  Pagan  con- 
vert was  daily  more  reconciled  to  a  system,  which  he 
saw  approximating  to  that  which  he  had  been  long 
accustomed  to  behold  in  the  house  of  his  idols.  And 
the  artful  politician  could  not  but  admire  a  hierarchy, 
so  far  subservient  to  the  interests,  and  conformed  to 
the  model  of  the  empire.  Constantine  assumed  to 
himself  the  right  of  calling  general  councils,  of  presid- 
ing in  them,  of  determining  controversies,  and  of  fix- 
ing the  bounds  of  ecclesiastical  provinces.  He  formed 
the  prelatical  government  after  the  imperial  model, 
into  great  prefectures  5  in  which  arrangement,  a  cer- 
tain pre-eminence  was  conferred  on  the  bishops  of 
Rome,  Antioch,  Alexandria,  and  Constantinople  ^  the 
first  rank  being  always  reserved  for  the  Bishop  of 
Rome,  who  succeeded  in  gradually  extending  his 
usurpation,  until  he  was  finally  confirmed  in  it  by  an 
imperial  decree. 

Though  an  attempt  has  been  made  to  trace  some 
of  the  gradations  by  which  ministerial  imparity  arose 
from  small  beginnings  to  a  settled  diocesan  Episco- 
pacy; yet,  from  the  very  nature  of  the  case,  the  dates 
of  the  several  steps  cannot  be  precisely  ascertained. 
To  definite  transactions  which  take  place  in  a  single 
day,  or  year,  or  which  are  accomplished  in  a  few 
years,  it  is  commonly  an  easy  task  to  assign  dates. 
But,  in  this  gradual  change,  which  was  more  than 
114 


EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY.  45 

three  centuries  in  accomplishing,  no  reasonable  man 
could  expect  to  find  the  limits  of  the  several  steps 
precisely  defined;  because  each  step  was  slowly,  and 
almost  insensibly,  taken;  and  more  especially,  because 
the  practice  of  all  the  churches  was  not  uniform. 
There  was  no  particular  time  when  the  transition  from 
a  state  of  perfect  parity,  to  a  fixed  and  acknowledged 
superiority ,of  order  took  place  at  once,  and  therefore 
no  such  time  can  be  assigned.  It  is  evident  from  the 
records  of  antiquity,  that  the  titles  of  bishop  and  pres- 
byter were,  as  in  the  beginning,  indiscriminately  ap- 
plied to  the  same  order  in  some  churches,  long  after 
a  distinction  had  begun  to  arise  in  others.  It  is  equally 
evident,  that  tlie  ordaining  power  of  presbyters  was 
longer  retained  in  the  more  pure  and  primitive  districts 
of  the  church,  than  where  wealth,  ambition,  and  a 
worldly  spirit,  bore  greater  sway.  In  some  churches 
there  were  several  bishops  at  the  same  time:  in  others, 
but  one.  In  some  parts  of  the  Christian  world,  it  was 
the  practice  to  consider  and  treat  all  the  preaching 
presbyters  in  each  church  as  colleagues  and  equals:  in 
others,  one  of  the  presbyters  was  regarded  as  the  pas- 
tor or  bishop,  and  the  rest  as  his  assistants.  Further, 
when  the  practice  of  choosing  one  of  the  presbyters  to 
be  president  or  moderator  commenced,  it  appeared  in 
different  forms  in  different  churches.  In  one  church, 
at  least,  according  to  Jerome,  the  presiding  presbyter 
was  elected,  as  well  as  set  apart,  by  his  colleagues; 
in  other  churches,  according  to  Hilary,  the  president 
came  to  the  chair  agreeably  to  a  settled  principle  of 
rotation.  In  some  cases  the  presiding  presbyter  was 
vested  with  greater  dignity  and  authority;  in  others 
with  less.  In  short,  it  is  evident,  that,  in  some  por 
tions  of  the  church,  a  difterence  of  order  between 
115 


46  EARLY  RISE  OF  PRELACY. 

bishops  and  presbyters  v/as  recognized  in  the  third 
century;  in  others,  and  perhaps  generally,  in  the 
fourth;  but  in  some  others,  not  until  the  fifth  century. 
No  wonder,  then,  that  we  find  a  different  language 
used  by  different  fathers  on  this  subject,  for  the  prac- 
tice was  different;  and  this  fact  directs  us  to  the  only 
rational  and  adequate  method  of  interpreting  their 
different  representations. 

Such  being  the  case,  what  reasonable  man  would 
expect  to  find  in  the  records  of  antiquity,  any  definite 
or  satisfactory  account  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  pre- 
lacy? If  changes  equally  early  and  important  are 
covered  with  still  greater  darkness;  if  the  history  of 
the  first  general  council  that  ever  met,  and  which 
agitated  to  its  centre  the  whole  Christian  church,  is  so 
obscure  that  many  of  the  circumstances  of  its  meeting 
are  disputed,  and  no  distinct  record  of  its  acts  has  ever 
reached  our  times ;  what  might  be  expected  concern- 
ing an  ecclesiastical  innovation,  so  remote  in  its  origin, 
so  gradual  in  its  progress,  so  indefinitely  diversified  in 
the  shapes  in  which  it  appeared  in  difterent  places  at 
the  same  time,  and  so  unsusceptible  of  precise  and 
lucid  exhibition?  To  this  question,  no  discerning  and 
candid  mind  will  be  at  a  loss  for  an  answer.  No;  the 
whole  of  that  reasoning,  which  confidently  deduces  the 
apostolical  origin  of  prelacy,  from  its  acknowledged 
and  general  prevalence  in  the  fourth  century,  is  mere 
empty  declamation,  as  contradictory  to  every  principle 
of  human  nature,  as  it  is  to  the  whole  current  of  early 
history. 


THE    END. 


116 


L^ 


PERMANENT 


SABBATH   DOCUMENTS. 


BY    THE 

Rev.  JUSTIN  EDWARDS,  D.D. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

117 


CONTENTS. 


Page 

The  Nature  of  Man 3 

The  Object  of  God  in  Creation.  ..3 
Institutions  established  in  Para- 

dise 4 

Testimony  of  Scripture 5 

Reasons  tor  that  Testimony 6 

Ends  for  which  the  Sabbath  was 

appointed * 7 

The  Nature  and  Design  of  the 

Decalogue. 8 

Reason  for  keeping  the  Sabbath. 8 
Effect  of  tiie  Stillness  of  the  Sab- 
bath  9 

Influence  of  the  Sabbath  on  Mo- 

ral  Government 10 

God  our  Preserver  and  Benefac- 
tor  11 

God  our  Redeemer 12 

The  Rights  of  God 14 

The  Rights  of  Men 15 

Sabbath-breaking  dishonest.  . .  .16 
Nature  and  Object  of  Human 

Government 17 

Sailors'  Rights 17 

The  Way  to  support  a  Family.  18 
Rights  of  Men  to  Animals  and 

the  Elements 19 

The  Sabbath  based  on  a  natural 

Law 2U 

Dr.  Farre's  Testimony 20 

The  Sabbath  necessary  to  Man. 22 
Physicians,  Clergymen  and  Sen- 
ators destroyed 23 

Testimony  of  Wilberforce 23 

Romilly  and  Castlereagh 24 

The  Financier  and  Merchant.  .25 

Dr.  Sewall's  Testimony 26 

Dr.  Mussey's  Testimony 27 

Dr.  Harrison's  Testimony 27 

Dr.  Alden's  Testimony 28 

New   Haven   Medical  Associa- 
tion  28 

Dr.  Warren's  Testimony 29 


Pa?o 
Physicians  on  the  Erie  Canal.  .29 
Experiments    in    England,    the 

United  .States  and  France. ...  30 
The  Flouring  Establishment. .  .31 

The  making  of  Salt   32 

The  Fishei'ies 33 

Law  of  Nature  with  regard  to 

Animals 34 

Experiments  Avith  Horses 35 

Experiments    with    Cattle    and 

Sheep 35 

Families  on  Journeys 36 

The  Sabbath  made  for  the  Soul. 38 

Judge  Hale's  Testimony 38 

Dr.  Wilson's  Testimony 39 

A  Mechanic  in  Massachusetts.  .39 
Effect  of  Sabbath-breaking   on 

the  Heart 40 

z\uburn  State  Prison 41 

Delaware  and  Hudson  Canal.  .  .41 
One  hundred  thousand  Convicts  43 
Riding  out  for  Pleasure  on  the 

Sabbath ..44 

A   distinguished   Merchant   in 

New  York 44 

The  language  of  Sabbath-break- 

ing 45 

Various  Experiments 46 

The  four  Travellers 47 

Passengers  on  board  the  Lexing- 
ton  48 

The  Mechanic  and  Master  of  a 

Vessel 49 

An  old  Man  in  Boston. 49 

The   Man  who  worked  on  the 

Sabbath 50 

The  Finger  of  God 52 

The  Duty,  Privilege  and  Bless- 
edness of  Man 53 

Resolutions  adopted  by  numer- 
ous  bodies  of  Men  in  various 
parts  of  the  United  States..  .  .54 


113 


Stereotyppfi  by  p.  doi'«l\s  wyeth, 
No.  7  Pear  St.,  Philadelphia, 


PERMANENT  SABBATH  DOCUMENTS. 


ENDS    FOR    WHICH    THE    SABBATH    WAS    APPOINTED,  AND    REASONS    WHY    IT 
SHOULD    BE    OBSERVED. 

Man  is  mortal  and  immortal.  His  body  will  soon 
die,  and  mingle  with  the  dust.  His  sonl  will  live,  in 
a  state  of  conscious,  intelligent,  moral,  and  accounta- 
ble existence,  for  ever.  Knowledge  is  the  food  by 
which  it  grows  in  piety,  wisdom,  usefulness,  and  bliss. 
Of  all  the  knowledge  of  which  it  is  capable,  the  know- 
ledge of  God  and  of  Jesus  Christ  is  the  most  impor- 
tant.    This  is  life — eternal  life. 

One  g;rand  object  of  Jehovah,  in  all  his  dealings 
with  men,  is  to  manifest  himself,  and  give  to  them 
correct  views  of  his  character  and  will.  This  is  de- 
signed to  lead  them  to  exercise  right  feelings,  and  pur- 
sue a  right  course  of  conduct  towards  him,  them- 
selves, and  one  another.  By  so  doing,  they  will  glo- 
rify their  Maker,  benefit  themselves,  and  do  the  great- 
est good  to  their  fellow  men. 

For  this,  God  stretched  out  the  heavens,  and  laid 
the  foundations  of  the  earth ;  created  man,  and  made 
him  lord  of  this  lower  world.  For  this,  he  established 
for  him  various  institutions  and  laws.  Among  them 
was  the  institution  of  the  Sabbath,  or  a  day  of  weekly 
rest  from  secular  business  and  cares,  of  special  devo- 
tion to  the  public  worship  of  God,  and  the  promotion 
of  the  spiritual  and  eternal  interests  of  men. 

The  first  great  institution  established  in  paradise, 
for  the  human  race,  was  that  of  Marriage.  This  lays 
the  foundation  for  families,  and   for  social   relations 

119  3 


among  men.  The  second  great  institution,  established 
also  in  paradise  for  the  race,  was  that  of  the  Sabbath. 
This  was  designed  to  regulate  families,  to  point  out 
the  period  for  labour  and  the  period  for  rest ;  for  the 
public  worship  of  God,  and  for  special  devotion  to 
spiritual  and  eternal  concerns.  So  important  was  this 
arrangement  to  the  glory  of  God  and  to  the  welfare 
of  men,  that  with  reference  to  it,  He  regulated  his  own 
conduct  in  the  creation  of  the  world.  He  wrought 
six  days  himself  He  then  came  out  in  the  face  of 
creation,  and  rested  one  day.  He  thus  gave  to  this 
arrangement  of  six  days  for  labour,  and  one  for  rest, 
the  sanction  of  his  high  and  holy  example.  This  was 
the  proportion  which  would,  in  all  ages,  be  suited  to 
the  nature  of  men,  adapted  to  their  capacities,  and 
essential  to  the  supply  of  their  wants.  With  reference 
to  it,  time  itself  was  to  be  divided,  not  into  days,  or 
months,  or  years,  merely,  or  into  any  periods  meas- 
ured by  the  revolutions  of  the  earth  or  the  heavenly 
bodies,  but  into  weeks — periods  of  seven  days;  six  for 
labour,  and  one  for  rest  and  special  devotion  to  spir- 
itual things.  This  division  of  time,  measured  by  the 
conduct  aud  will  of  God,  and  by  the  capacities  and 
wants  of  men,  was,  among  those  who  should  know 
and  do  his  will,  to  be  as  permanent  and  as  universal 
as  though  it  were  measured  by  the  revolutions  of  the 
earth  or  the  heavenly  bodies.  It  was  to  be,  in  all  ages 
and  all  countries,  a  sign  of  the  covenant  between  God 
and  his  people ;  an  emblem  and  a  foretaste  of  the  rest 
which  remaineth  for  them,  and  a  special  season  of 
preparation  for  its  eternal  joys. 

For  this  reason,  Jehovah  not  only  kept  it  himself, 
but  he  sanctified  it,  or  set  it  apart  from  other  days  for 
this  special  purpose.  He  also  blessed  it,  and  with  such 
a  fulness  of  blessings,  that  they  flow  out,  to  those  who 
keep  it,  not  only  on  that  day,  but  through  all  the  other 
days  of  the  week.  They  are  blessed  in  their  bodies 
and  souls,  in  their  going  out  and  their  coming  in,  and 
in  all  their  ways. 

In  the  fifty-eighth  chapter  of  Isaiah  and  thirteenth 
verse,  Jehovah  speaks  as  if  the  keeping  of  the  Sab- 
120 


5 

batli  were  ol)e(3ience,  or  would  promote  obedience,  to 
all  his  commands,  and  thus  insure  his  blessing:  "If 
thou  turn  away  thy  foot  from  doing  thy  pleasure  on 
my  holy  day,  and  call  the  Sabbath  a  delight,  the  holy 
of  the  Lord,  honourable;  and  shalt  honour  him,  not 
doing  thine  own  ways,  nor  finding  thine  own  pleasure, 
nor  speaking  thine  own  words;  then  shalt  thou  de- 
hght  thyself  in  the  Lord;  and  I  will  cause  thee  to  ride 
upon  the  high  places  of  the  earth,  and  feed  thee  with 
the  heritage  of  Jacob,  thy  father;  for  the  mouth  of  the 
Lord  hath  spoken  it." 

In  the  seventeenth  chapter  of  Jeremiah  and  twenty- 
first  verse,  we  have  an  exhibition  of  the  same  great 
principle:  "Thus  saith  the  Lord;  Take  heed  to  your- 
selves, and  bear  no  burden  on  the  Sabbath  day,  nor 
bring  it  in  by  the  gates  of  Jerusalem.  Neither  carry 
forth  a  burden  out  of  your  houses  on  the  Sabbath  day, 
neither  do  ye  any  work,  but  hallow  ye  the  Sabbath 
day,  as  I  commanded  your  fathers.  But  they  obeyed 
not,  neither  inclined  their  ear,  but  made  their  neck 
stiff,  that  they  might  not  hear,  nor  receive  instruction. 
And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  if  ye  diligently  hearken 
unto  me,  saith  the  Lord,  to  bring  in  no  burden  through 
the  gates  of  this  city  on  the  Sabbath  day,  but  hallow 
the  Sabbath  day,  to  do  no  work  therein;  then  shall 
there  enter  into  the  gates  of  this  city  kings  and  princes 
sitting  upon  the  throne  of  David,  riding  in  chariots  and 
on  horses,  they  and  their  princes,  the  men  of  Judah, 
and  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem:  and  this  city  shall 
remain  for  ever.  And  they  shall  come  from  the  cities 
of  Judah,  ajid  from  the  places  about  Jerusalem,  and 
from  the  land  of  Benjamin,  and  from  the  plain,  and 
from  the  mountains,  and  from  the  south,  bringing 
burnt-offerings,  and  sacrifices,  and  meat-offerings,  and 
incense,  and  bringing  sacrifices  of  praise,  unto  the 
house  of  the  Lord.  But  if  ye  will  not  hearken  unto 
me  to  hallow  the  Sabbath  day,  and  not  to  bear  a  bur- 
den, even  entering  in  at  the  gates  of  Jerusalem  on  the 
Sabbath  day;  then  will  I  kindle  a  fire  in  the  gates 
thereof,  and  it  shall  devour  the  palaces  of  Jerusalem, 
and  it  shall  not  be  quenched." 

L  1*  121 


In  the  above  passages  Jehovah  speaks  as  if  the 
keeping  of  the  Sabbath  were  every  thing;  as  if  it 
comprehended,  or  would  secure,  obedience  to  all  his 
commands.  This,  in  an  important  sense,  is  the  case. 
Such  is  the  nature  of  man,  such  the  institution  of  the 
Sabbath,  and  such  the  effect  which  the  keeping  of  it 
will  have  upon  him,  that,  if  he  is  obedient  to  6od  in 
this  thing,  he  will  be  obedient  to  him  in  other  things. 
A  Sabbath-keeping  people  will  be  an  obedient  people. 
The  manner  in  which  they  treat  the  Sabbath  will  be 
a  test  of  their  character,  an  index  of  their  moraUty  and 
religion.  God  did  not  think  it  necessary,  therefore,  to 
say  to  his  people,  in  these  passages,  that,  if  they  would 
not  commit  murder,  he  would  bless  them;  or,  if  they 
"would  not  be  guilty  of  theft,  he  would  bless  them. 
He  knew  that,  if  they  would  rightly  keep  the  Sab- 
bath, they  would  not  commit  murder  or  theft,  or  ordi- 
narily be  guilty  of  any  gross  outward  crimes.  Men 
who  regularly  observe  the  Sabbath,  and  habitually 
attend  public  worship,  which  is  a  part  of  the  proper 
observance  of  that  day,  do  not  commit  such  crimes. 
While  they  keep  the  Sabbath,  God  keeps  them;  not 
by  force  or  coercion  of  any  kind,  but  by  the  influence 
of  moral  government,  through  means  of  his  appoint- 
ment. 

The  Sabbath  is  the  great  and  all-pervading  means 
of  giving  efficacy  to  moral  government,  and  holds  a 
relation  to  general  m^orality  similar  to  that  ivhich 
the  marriage  institution  holds  to  social  purity.  It 
was  designed,  and  is  adapted,  to  lead  people  statedly 
to  rest  from  worldly  business,  cares,  and  amusements; 
to  contemplate  Jehovah  as  the  Creator,  Preserver, 
Redeemer,  Benefactor,  Owner,  Governor,  Judge,  and 
Disposer  of  men;  to  keep  alive,  and  render  practically 
efficacious,  the  knowledge  of  the  one  only  living  and 
true  God;  lead  all  to  worship  and  adore  him;  and  thus 
to  experience  the  benefits  of  his  infinitely  wise,  uni- 
versal, and  benevolent  reign. 

Hence  the  reason  which  he  gave  to  his  ancient  peo- 
ple why  they  should  keep  it — "  that  ye  may  know 
that  I  am  Jehovah."     Had  all  men  properly  kept  the 
122 


Sabbath,  all  would  have  known  Jehovah,  and  wor- 
shipped him,  from  the  creation  of  the  world  to  the 
present  time,  and  idolatry  never  would  have  been 
practised  on  the  earth.  Hence,  also,  when  the  wants 
of  his  ancient  people  required  that  they  should  no 
longer  depend  upon  oral  communications  merely,  but 
should  have  the  unchanging  laws  by  which  they  were 
to  be  governed  placed  upon  a  permanent  record, — 
such  as,  ^' Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  before  me; 
shalt  not  bow  down  to  graven  images;  shalt  not  take 
the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain ;  shalt  honour 
thy  father  and  thy  mother;  shalt  not  kill,  commit  adul- 
tery, steal,  bear  false  witness,  or  covet," — he  put  this 
among  them — '^  Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep 
it  holy:  in  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work,  thou,  nor 
thy  son,  nor  thy  daughter,  nor  thy  man-servant,  nor 
thy  maid-servant,  nor  thy  cattle,  nor  thy  stranger  that 
is  within  thy  gates."  He  placed  tliis  in  the  midst  of 
them;  and  obedience  to  it  was  essential,  in  order  to 
obedience  to  the  other  commands.  If  they  would  not 
keep  the  Sabbath,  they  would  not  obey  him  in  other 
things.  Sabbath-breaking  would  be  treason  against 
the  government  of  God,  and  open  the  way  for  univer- 
sal profligacy  and  ruin. 

Hence,  as  a  civil  ruler,  he  would  no  more  suffer  the 
Sabbath-breaker  to  live  among  that  people  than  he 
would  the  murderer.  Though  the  jjenalty  was  placed 
among  the  local  and  temporary  regulations  of  that 
peculiar  people,  was  not  designed  to  be  permanent, 
and  was  not  written  by  the  finger  of  God  on  the  tables 
of  stone,  yet  the  law  was  written  there,  because  that 
was  designed  to  be  permanent.  It  expressed  an  obli- 
gation which  arose  from  the  nature  of  man,  and  from 
his  relations  to  his  Maker,  and  which,  as  really  as  the 
obligation  expressed  by  the  other  laws,  would  be  bind- 
ing upon  him  through  all  time. 

It  is  sometimes  said  that,  if  the  law  of  the  Sabbath 
is  binding  upon  men  now,  then  we  must,  as  the  Jews 
did,  put  the  violators  of  it  to  death  by  the  hand  of  the 
civil  magistrate.  This  does  not  folloio.  We  are  not 
now,  as  the  Jews  did,  to  put  the  open,  presumptuous 

123 


8 

violators  of  the  first,  or  the  fifth,  or  the  seventh  com- 
ma iid,  to  death.  Yet  are  not  these  commands  bind- 
ing upon  men?  Is  it  not  wicked  for  men  to  have 
another  god  before  Jehovah,  to  bow  down  to  graven 
images  and  worship  them,  or  to  dishonour  tlieir  pa- 
rents? All  the  commands  of  the  decalogne  expressed 
obUgations  which  were  binding  upon  men  before  they 
were  written  upon  the  tables  of  stone,  and  which  will 
continue  to  be  binding  to  the  end  of  the  world. 

The  penalty  of  death,  attached  for  a  time  to  tlie 
violation  of  the  Sabbath,  showed  how  the  Law- 
giver abhorred  the  crime.  Nor  was  this  abhorrence 
without  good  reason.  The  Sabbath-breaker  vio- 
lated a  fundamental  law.  He  proclaimed,  by  ac- 
tions, the  most  impressive  of  all  language — "  No 
God  !"  and  thus  produced  the  effect  of  practical  athe- 
ism on  himself  and  on  others.  He  does  this  in  all 
ages.  And  as  long  as  it  will  be  wicked  for  men 
to  have  another  god  before  Jehovah,  to  bow  down 
to  graven  images,  to  take  the  name  of  God  in  vain, 
to  dishonour  their  parents,  to  commit  murder,  adul- 
tery, or  theft,  to  bear  false  witness,  or  to  covet,  so 
long  will  it  be  wicked  for  them  not  to  rest  from 
worldly  business,  cares,  and  amusements,  one  day  in 
seven,  for  the  purpose  of  pubHcly  worshipping  Jeho- 
vah, and  promothig  the  spiritual  good  of  themselves 
and  others. 

The  reason  which  God  gave  on  the  tables  of  stone 
for  keeping  the  Sabbath,  was  not  a  Jewish  reason. 
It  was  one  which  applies  alike  to  all  men.  "  For  in 
six  days  the  Lord  made  the  heavens  and  the  earth, 
the  sea,  and  all  that  in  them  is."  But  he  did  not 
make  them  for  Jews  merely,  or  for  any  particular 
people.  He  made  them  for  us  and  for  all  men.  As 
a  memorial  of  that  fact,  he  set  apart  the  Sabbath, 
kept  it,  sanctified  and  blessed  it,  for  the  benefit  of 
all.  All  are  bound,  by  keeping  it,  to  acknowledge 
this,  and  to  honour  him  as  the  Creator,  Preserver  and 
Benefactor;  and,  as  such,  the  Owner,  Governor  and 
Disposer  of  all  things.  The  Sabbath  was  appointed 
for  that  purpose,  and,  as  a  consequence,  to  impress  on 
124 


9 

the  minds  of  men  the  great  truths,  that  "  the  earth  is 
the  Lord's  and  the  fuhjess  thereof,  the  world,  and  they 
that  dwell  therein  ;"  that  "  the  silver  and  the  gold  are 
his,"  though  acquired  by  human  industry,  and  "  the 
cattle-  upon  a  thousand  hills." 

The  earth  is  not  eternal;  it  did  not  create  itself; 
no  creature  called  it  into  being.  Nor  is  its  existence 
to  be  ascribed  to  chance,  to  idols,  or  to  any  of  the 
false  Gods  which  men  have  worshipped.  In  the  be- 
ginning Jehovah  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth. 
And  the  things  which  are  seen  were  not  made  of 
things  which  do  appear.  They  were  literally  created. 
"  He  spake,  and  it  was.  He  commanded,  and  it  stood 
fast." 

The  Sabbath  was  designed  to  make  all  men  feel 
this;  and  to  lead  them,  by  keeping  it,  publicly  to 
acknowledge,  "Thou,  Lord,  in  the  beginning,  hast 
laid  the  foundations  of  the  earth,  and  the  heavens  are 
the  work  of  thy  hands.  They  shall  perish,  but  thou 
remainest."  And  "  Thine,  0  Lord,  is  the  greatness, 
and  the  power,  and  the  victory,  and  the  majesty;  for 
all  that  is  in  the  heavens  and  the  earth  is  thine  ;  thine 
is  the  kingdom,  0  Jehovah,  and  thou  art  exalted  as 
head  above  all." 

Such  are  some  of  the  truths,  which,  by  the  keep- 
ing of  the  Sabbath,  are  every  week  proclaimed  to  the 
world;  in  a  manner  adapted  to  the  nature  of  man, 
and  suited  to  make  on  him  a  strong  and  lasting  im- 
pression. 

•  When,  on  the -morning  of  that  blessed  day,  the  sun 
rises  and  shines  as  brightly  as  on  other  days,  the  oxen 
graze  as  peacefully,  the  lambs  skip  as  briskly,  and  the 
birds  sing  as  sweetly,  yet  no  man  goes  forth  to  his 
labour,  no  shop  door  or  window  opens,  no  wheel  rat- 
tles on  the  pavement,  or  vessel  leaves  the  harbour,  no 
stage-coach  or  canal -boat  runs,  no  whistling  or  rum- 
bling is  heard  on  the  railroad,  or  bustle  is  witnessed 
in  any  department  of  secular  business,  but  universal 
stillness  reigns  throughout  creation,  except  as  broken 
by  the  voice  of  prayer  and  praise  ascending  to  its 
Author,  that  stillness  is  the  voice  of  God  to  the  moral 
l2  125 


10 

nature  of  man;  his  still,  small,  but  all-pervading  and 
niightily-eflicacious  voice,  proclaiming  his  existence, 
his  character,  and  his  will ;  that  he  is  a  great  God  and 
a  great  King  above  all  gods ;  that  in  his  hand  are  the 
deep  places  of  the  earth,  and  that  the  strength  of  the 
hills  is  also  his;  that  the  sea  is  his,  for  he  made  it,  and 
his  hand  formed  the  dry  land ;  that  he  is  a  God-  that 
judgeth  in  tlie  earth,  and  is  not  far  from  every  one  of 
us ;  that  on  him  we  are  dependent,  and  to  him  we  are 
accountable ;  and  that  he  will  bring  every  work  into 
judgment,  with  every  secret  thing,  whether  it  be  good 
or  evil.  And  it  is  a  voice  which  each  individual  who 
is  enlightened,  and  not  scathed  by  iniquity  till  he  is 
twice  dead,  will  hear,  and  in  some  measure  feel. 

In  proportion  as  he  hearkens  to  it,  and  enters  into 
its  spirit,  he  will  have  a  deeper  and  more  operative 
conviction  of  the  presence  of  God,  and  of  the  near- 
ness, reality,  and  importance  of  eternal  things.  lie 
will  feel  more  solemn,  more  as  if  one  thing  were  need- 
ful, as  if  the  favour  of  God  were  life,  and  his  loving 
kindness  better  than  life ;  and  he  will  be  more  likely 
to  say,  "  0!  come,  let  us  worship  and  bow  down ;  let 
ns  kneel  before  the  Lord  our  Maker;  for  he  is  our 
God,  and  we  are  the  people  of  his  pasture  and  tlie 
sheep  of  his  hand.'^ 

This  was  designed  to  be  the  effect  of  the  stillness  of 
the  Sabbath,  and  this  is  the  preparation  which  men 
need  when  they  go  to  the  house  of  God,  and  hear  his 
voice  speaking,  through  the  living  ministry,  to  the 
ear,  in  order  to  make  it  like  the  rain  and  the  snow, 
that  come  down  from  heaven  and  water  the  earth, 
cause  it  to  bring  forth  and  bud,  that  it  may  give  seed 
to  the  sower  and  bread  to  the  eater.  So,  when  men 
rightly  keep  the  Sabbath,  will  the  word  of  the  Lord 
be.  It  will  not  return  void,  but  will  accomplish  tliat 
which  pleases  him,  and  prosper  in  the  thing  where- 
unto  he  sends  it.  In  the  prophetic  language  of  inspi- 
'ration,  "  Men  will  go  out  with  joy,  and  be  led  forth 
with  peace;  the  mountains  and  the  hills  will  break 
forth  before  them  into  singing,  and  all  the  trees  of  the 
field  will  clap  their  hands.  Instead  of  the  thorn  will 
126 


11 

come  up  the  fir-tree,  and  instead  of  the  brier,  the  myr- 
tle-tree; and  it  will  be  to  the  Lord  for  a  name,  and  for 
an  everlasting  sign,  that  shall  not  be  cut  off." 

The  keeping  of  the  Sabbath  "makes  God  known, 
gives  efficacy  to  his  moral  government,  increases  the 
number  and  fidelity  of  his  subjects,  and  communi- 
cates, to  a  greater  extent  than  can  otherwise  be  done, 
the  benefits  of  his  holy  and  perfect  reign. 

The  keeping  of  the  Sabbath  promotes  the  same  end 
in  another  way,  by  directing  attention  to  Jehovah,  not 
merely  as  the  Creator,  but  as  (he  Preserver  and  Bene- 
factor of  men.  Not  only  is  it  true  that  "  of  hjm  are 
all  things,"  but  equally  true  that  "  by  him  are  all 
things."  He  is  not  only  the  Former  of  our  bodies  and 
the  Father  of  our  spirits,  but  "  in  him  we  live,  and 
move,  and  have  our  being."  He  keeps  the  breath  in 
our  nostrils,  the  blood  flowing  in  our  veins,  and  the 
spirit  of  life  within  us.  He  not  only  piled  up  the 
mountains  and  scooped  out  the  valleys,  made  tlie 
channels  for  the  rivers,  and  the  bed  for  the  sea,  but  he 
maketh  the  grass  to  grow  upon  the  mountains,  and 
the  corn  to  spring  in  the  valleys.  His  rivers  run 
among  the  hills.  He  visiteth  the  earth  and  watereth 
it.  He  maketh  it  soft  with  showers,  and  he  blesseth 
the  springing  of  it.  The  earth  is  full  of  the  riches  of 
his  goodness.  So  is  that  great  and  wide  sea,  wherein 
are  things  creeping  innumerable,  and  where  goeth 
that  leviathan  which  he  hath  made  to  play  therein. 
These  all  wait  upon  him,  and  he  giveth  them  their 
meat.  What  he  giveth,  they,  in  ways  of  his  appoint- 
ment, gather.  And  when  he  withholdeth,  they  die. 
He  openeth  his  hand  and  supplieth  the  wants  of  every 
living  thing.  Of  him,  and  through  him,  and  to  him, 
are  all  things. 

The  Sabbath  was  designed  to  make  men  feel  this, 
and  lead  them  to  act  accordingly;  to  treat  Jehovah  as 
their  Maker,  Preserver,  and  Benefactor;  and  render 
to  him  the  obedience  which  their  relations  to  him 
require. 

But  to  men  he  has  special  claims,  over  and  above 
those  which  result  from  creation,  preservation,  and 

127 


12 

the  bestowment  of  all  temporal  favours.  When  tliey, 
by  rebellion,  were  lost, — when  there  was  no  eye  to 
pity  and  no  arm  to  save, — then  his  eye  pitied  and  his 
arm  brought  salvation.  He  laid  help  for  them  upon 
one  who  was  mighty,  and  who  came  to  take  away 
their  sins  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself  Though  he 
was  rich,  for  their  sakes  he  became  poor,  that  they, 
through  his  poverty,  might  be  rich.  He  was  wound- 
ed for  their  transgressions,  and  bruised  for  their  ini- 
quities. The  chastisement  of  their  peace  was  upon 
him,  and  by  his  stripes  they  are  healed.  He  bare 
their  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree;  entered  the 
holy  place  with  his  blood,  and  obtained  eternal  re- 
demption for  them.  Nor  did  he  merely  die  for  their 
sins.  He  rose  again  for  their  justification.  And  he 
now  lives,  and  makes  intercession  for  them,  and  offers 
them  all  the  blessings  of  his  salvation,  without  money 
and  without  price.  Whosoever  will  may  come  to 
him,  and  them  that  come  he  will  in  no  wise  cast  out. 
Though  their  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  white  as 
snow ;  though  they  be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  be 
as  wool.  From  all  their  filthiness  and  their  idols  he 
will  cleanse  them.  A  new  heart  will  he  give  them, 
and  a  new  spirit  put  within  them.  He  will  take 
away  the  heart  of  stone,  and  give  them  a  heart  of 
flesh.  He  will  be  their  God,  and  they  shall  be  his 
people. 

Surely  they  are  not  their  own.  They  did  not 
create  themselves.  They  do  not  preserve  themselves. 
They  are  not  the  authors  of  the  blessings  which  they 
enjoy.  Above  all,  they  "  are  bought  with  a  price," 
and  "redeemed  not  whh  corruptible  things,  as  silver, 
and  gold,  but  with  the  precious  blood  of  Christ,"  who 
loved  them,  and  gave  himself  for  them,  that  whoso- 
ever believeth  on  him  should  not  perish,  but  have 
everlasting  life. 

Such  are  some  of  the  truths  which  the  Sabbath 
inculcates.  It  commemorates  the  work  of  God,  as 
Creator^  Preserver,  Benefactor,  and  Redeemer,  It 
is  the  day  which  the  Lord  has  made  for  this  purpose, 
and  which  he  blesses  to  this  end.     It  also  points  to  a 


13 

rising  Saviour,  a  finished  redemption,  deliverance 
through  grace,  from  an  eternal  hell,  and  exaltation  to 
an  eternal  heaven.  And  it  is  a  powerful  means  of 
leading  men  to  live  not  unto  themselves,  but  unto 
Him  who  died  for  them,  and  rose  again ;  and  thus  to 
glorify  liim  in  body  and  spirit,  which  are  preemi- 
nently his. 

They  are  his  by  creation,  his  by  preservation,  and 
his  by  all  the  blessings  which  they  enjoy.  They  are 
his  by  redemption ;  and  his,  through  the  influence  of 
the  Sabbath  and  its  attendant  means  of  grace,  they 
may  be,  and,  if  not  rejected,  will  be,  by  adoption^  and 
heirship  to  an  inheritance  incorruptible,  undefiled,  and 
not  to  fade  away. 

Thus  the  Sabbath  was  designed  to  commemorate 
and  enforce  the  rights  of  God — those  which  result  from 
creation,  preservation,  and  redemption. 

His  right  to  men,  to  all  which  they  possess,  or  can 
obtain,  and  to  all  things,  is  higher  and  more  perfect 
than  does  or  can  belong  to  any  other  being.  His 
rights  are  original,  independent,  eternal.  His  are  the 
kingdom,  the  power,  and  the  glory.  His  the  absolute 
ownership,  the  rightful  possession,  and  the  just  final 
disposal  of  all  things.  For  he  hath  created  all,  and 
for  his  pleasure  they  are  and  were  created.  And  his 
pleasure  is  always  right,  always  perfect,  and  promo- 
tive of  the  highest  good  of  all  who  obey  him. 

One  conclusion  which  results  from  the  above-men- 
tioned truths,  and  to  which  we  invite  universal  atten- 
tion, is,  Whatever  Jehovah  does,  or  suffers  to  be  done, 
he  ivrongs  no  one. 

Though  his  ways  are  in  the  great  deep,  his  goings 
past  finding  out,  and  the  reasons  of  his  dealings  to 
mortals  are  not  known,  yet  he  has  reasons ;  good 
reasons,  the  best  reasons,  reasons,  which,  like  himself, 
are  perfect,  and  which,  w^hen  published,  will  lead  all 
the  good  to  cry,  "  Alleluia  !  for  the  Lord  God  omnipo- 
tent reigneth." 

When  he  lets  the  winds  out  of  his  fists,  and  they 
sweep  the  ocean,  break  the  pride  of  navies,  and  sink 
the  treasures  of  a  thousand  hearts,  he  wrongs  no  one. 

2  129 


14 

When  he  suffers  a  fire  to  be  kindled,  and  insurers 
and  insured  see  their  all  go  up  in  smoke,  he  wrongs 
no  one. 

If,  with  his  providential  finger,  he  touch  the  cur- 
renc}",  or  the  commerce  of  a  country,  and  all  is  in  con- 
fusion, and  the  wise  men,  the  great,  and  the  mighty 
men  who  try  to  adjust  it,  dash  one  against  another, 
like  the  waves  of  the  sea,  and  accumulated  millions 
vanish,  he  wrongs  no  one.  Though  he  turn  the  fruit- 
ful field  into  a  wilderness,  and  the  mart  of  nations  into 
a  desert,  he  wrongs  no  one.  When  he  comes  and 
lays  his  hand  on  that  little  child  who  has  just  opened 
its  eyes  on  creation,  and  it  closes  them  and  passes 
away,  he  does  not  wrong  even  her  who  gave  it  birth ; 
"  for  the  Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord  hath  taken"  only 
his  own.  And  though  he  doth  his  pleasure  in  the 
armies  of  heaven,  among  the  inhabitants  of  earth,  and 
with  all  things  throughout  the  universe,  he  doth  all 
things  well. 

This  the  Sabbath  was  appointed  to  make  men  feel, 
and  lead  them  to  say,  in  view  of  all  that  God  does, 
"  It  is  the  Lord :  let  him  do  as  seemeth  good  in  his 
sight."  "Though  the  fig-tree  should  not  blossom, 
and  there  be  no  fruit  in  the  vine,  the  labour  of  the 
olive  fail,  and  the  fields  yield  no  meat,  the  flocks  be 
cut  off  from  the  fold,  and  there  be  no  herd  in  the  stall, 
yet  will  I  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  and  joy  in  the  God  of 
my  salvation."  "  Though  he  slay  ine^  yet  will  I  trust 
in  himP 

Another  conclusion,  which  results  from  the  facts 
above  mentioned,  is,  that  men  have  no  rights  to  any 
thing  but  those  which  God  gives  them.  Their  rights 
are  derived  and  dependent.  Without  information 
from  the  Giver,  they  would  never  know  what  these 
rights  are.  This  information  he  has  given  in  the 
Bible ;  all  of  which  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God, 
and  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  reproof,  correction,  and 
instruction  in  righteousness,  that  men  who  receive 
and  obey  it  may  become  perfect,  and  be  thoroughly 
furnished  unto  all  good  works.  It  shows  them  what 
to  believe,  wherein  they  are  wrong,  and  how  to  re- 
130 


turn  to  that  which  is  right.  It  instructs  them  in  what 
is  right,  in  feeling  and  conduct,  towards  God,  them- 
selves, and  their  fellow-men;  and  it  sets  before  them 
the  highest  motives  to  do  it.  It  is  the  voice  of  God 
to  the  soul,  testifying  words  by  wliich  it  may  be  en- 
lightened, sanctified,  and  saved. 

For  this  reason  every  person  should  oivn  a  copy, 
search  it  daily  as  the  word  of  God,  with  earnest  sup- 
plication for  the  teaching  of  his  Spirit ;  and  as  they 
*know  his  will  they  should  do  it.  They  will  then 
know  the  truth,  and  the  truth  will  make  them  free. 
God  will  shine  into  their  minds,  and  give  them  the 
light  of  the  knowledge  of  his  glory  in  the  face  of  Jesns 
Christ.  In  his  light  they  will  see  light,  and  will 
become  light  in  the  Lord.  They  will  know  him,  and 
Jesus  Christ,  whom  he  has  sent,  and  will  let  the  light 
of  holiness  so  shine  that  others  will  be  led  to  glorify 
their  Father  in  heaven. 

They  will  also  know  their  rights,  learn  the  way  io 
exercise  them  to  the  mutual  good  of  all,  and  be  dis- 
posed to  take  that  way.  Jind  they  will  know  that 
the  right  to  ivork  seven  days  in  a  week  is  not  one  of 
theyn.  That  right  God  never  gave.  That  right  no 
man  ever  had.  That  right  no  man  can  get.  Human 
governments  cannot  give  it.  It  was  never  given  to 
them.  They  do  not  possess  it.  They  cannot  obtain 
it,  nor  can  they  bestow  it  upon  others. 

Then  will  all  men  know,  too,  that  if  any  one,  in  the 
government  or  out  of  the  government,  takes  seven 
days  each  week  for  secular  business  and  gain,  he  does 
it  zuholly  without  right. 

For  such  purposes  the  Sabbath  was  not  made  or 
given  to  man.  It  is  not  theirs.  And  an  honest  man 
will  not  knowingly  take  what  is  not  his  own.  He  will 
be  content  with  that  which  belongs  to  him,  and  will 
conscientiously  abstain  from  taking  more.  The  Sab- 
bath, for  secular  business  and  gain,  belongs  to  no  man, 
and  no  honest  man,  who  knows  this,  will  take  it. 
This  should  be  understood  by  all. 

As  the  Bible  and  the  knowledge  of  facts  are  dis- 
seminated, and  the  will  of  God  made  known,  it  will 

131 


IG 

be  nnclerstood,  throngb  tho  length  and  breadth  of  the 
country,  and  thronghout  the  world.  Honest  men, 
who  know  the  truth  in  regard  to  the  Sabbath,  will  act 
accordingly.  They  are  doing  it  to  a  great  extent  now. 
The  manner  in  which  men  treat  the  Sabbath  is  devel- 
oping their  character,  and  showing  whether  they  are 
contented  with  the  periods  of  labour  which  belong  to 
them,  or  are  disposed  to  take  more.  If  they  are  intel- 
ligently disposed  to  take  more,  they  are  not,  at  heart, 
honest  men. 

To  six  days,  for  secular  business,  men  have  a  right. 
God  has  given  it.  "  Six  days  shalt  thou  labour,  and 
do  all  thy  work."  Why  must  men  do  all  their  work 
in  six  days  of  the  week?  Because  there  are  no  more 
days  in  which  to  work.  God  never  made  more  than 
six  working  days.  He  never  gave  any  more.  No 
man  has  any  more. 

Yet  another  day  is  added  to  every  week.  To  that, 
also,  every  man  has  a  right,  for  the  purpose  for  which 
it  was  made.  He  has  a  right  to  remember  it ;  that, 
at  such  a  time,  it  will  come ;  and  to  order  all  his 
worldly  concerns  in  such  a  manner  as  to  be  prepared 
for  it.  When  it  comes,  he  has  a  right  to  keep  it  holy 
to  the  Lord;  not  as  a  day  of  worldly  business;  but  as 
a  day  of  rest,  and  of  special  devotion  to  the  worship 
of  God  and  to  the  spiritual  good  of  men.  This  is  the 
right  of  the  poor,  as  really  as  of  the  rich;  of  servants, 
as  well  as  of  masters.  AH  have  a  right  to  labour  six 
days  in  a  week,  because  God  has  given  it.  All  have 
a  right  to  rest  one  day  in  seven,  because  God  has 
given  that.  His  command  is,  "  Remember  the  Sab- 
bath day,  to  keep  it  holy.  In  it  thou  shalt  not  do 
any  work;  thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor  thy  daughter,  nor 
thy  man-servant,  nor  thy  maid-servant,  nor  thy  cattle, 
nor  thy  stranger  that  is  within  thy  gates;"  and  all 
men  have  a  right,  and  it  is  their  duty,  to  obey  him. 

This  right  does  not  come  from  men.  It  comes 
from  God.  Like  the  right  to  live,  to  see  the  sun,  and 
breathe  the  air,  it  vests  in  humanity,  and  is  inalien- 
able. No  human  government  gave  it,  and  no  human 
government,  without  deep  mjustice,  can  take  it  away. 
132 


17 

Though  government  is  an  ordinance  of  God,  and 
magistrates  are  his  ministers,  designed  to  be  a  terror 
to  evil-doers,  and  a  praise  to  them  that  do  well,  yet 
it  was  not  instituted  to  give  rights,  but  to  guard 
them ;  to  protect  men  in  the  enjoyment  of  them,  and 
in  the  proper  application  of  them  to  the  concerns  of 
this  life.  The  right  to  keep  the  Sabbath  lies  back  of 
human  government,  and  rests  on  the  same  foundation 
with  goverimient  itself;  namely,  the  revealed  will  of 
>God,  and  the  wants  of  the  human  family. 

There  is  not  a  labourer  on  the  canal,  or  railroad,  in 
the  manufactory  or  workshop,  or  in  any  department 
of  worldly  business,  who  has  not  a  right,  when  the 
Sabbath  comes,  to  keep  it  holy  to  the  Lord ;  to  wor- 
ship him,  and  promote  the  spiritual  good  of  men. 
This  right  is  understood,  asserted,  and  maintained,  by 
increasing  numbers.  The  crew  of  a  vessel  in  one  of 
our  harbours  was  ordered  by  the  captain  to  labour  on 
the  Sabbath,  in  preparation  for  a  voyage.  They 
refused,  assigning  as  a  reason  their  right  to  rest  on 
the  Sabbath  while  in  the  harbour,  and  to  attend  to 
the  appropriate  duties  of  that  day.  The  captain  dis- 
missed them,  and  attempted  to  procure  another  crew. 
He  applied  to  numbers  who  refused.  He  then  met 
an  old  sailor,  and  asked  him  if  he  would  ship.  He 
said,  "No!"  "  Why  not  ?"  said  the  captain.  "Be- 
cause," said  the  sailor,  "the  man  who  will  rob  the 
Almighty  of  his  day,  I  should  be  afraid,  would,  if  he 
could,  rob  me  of  my  wages."  The  captain  could  not 
find  a  crevV,  and  on  Monday  was  glad  to  take  the  old 
one.  They  engaged  again,  and  showed  by  their  con- 
duct, that  the  keeping  of  the  Sabbath  had 'fitted  them 
the  better  for  the  duties  of  the  v/eek. 

A  man  was  applied  to,  and  offered  a  large  salary, 
to  superintend  the  running  of  the  cars  on  a  railroad. 
He  consented  to  take  the  office  on  condition  that  no 
cars  should  run  on  the  Sabbath.  This  caused  tlie 
board  of  directors  to  discuss  the  question  whether  they 
should  confine  the  running  of  the  cars  to  the  six  work- 
ing days.  A  part  were  in  favour  of  it ;  but  two,  who 
were  very  rich,  were  opposed  to  it,  and  had  sufficient 
M  2^  l'^3 


IS 

influence  to  turn  the  vote  the  wrong  way.  The  man 
refused  to  accept  the  office.  '^  It  will  not  do  for  me," 
said  he,  "to  work  on  the  Sabbath.  I  know  how  it 
will  end.  I  have  seen  it  tried,  till  I  am  satisfied.  It 
is  the  way  to  fail  and  come  to  nothing.^'  Soon  after 
one  of  those  rich  men  did  fail.  The  other  died.  Did 
either  of  them  receive  any  lasting  benefit  from  the 
running  of  their  cars  on  the  Sabbath  ?  And  do  men 
ordinarily,  on  the  whole,  gain  any  thing  valuable  in 
that  way? 

Another  man,  who  had  been  accustomed  to  go  with 
the  cars  on  week  days,  informed  his  wife  that  he  had 
been  requested  to  go  with  the  cars  on  the  Sabbath. 
She  replied,  "  I  take  it  for  granted  that  you  do  not 
intend  to  go."  Such  was  her  confidence  in  her  hus- 
band, that  she  took  it  for  granted  that  he  would  not 
do  a  wicked  thing  for  money.  He  told  her  that,  if  he 
should  not  go,  he  might  lose  his  place;  that  he  had  no 
other  employment,  the  times  were  hard,  and  he  had 
a  family  to  support.  "  I  know  it,"  said  she,  "but  I 
hope  you.  will  not  forget  that,  if  a  man  cannot  support 
a  family  by  keeping  the  Sabbath,  he  certainly  cannot 
support  them  by  breaking  it" — a  sentence  which  ought 
to  be  written  in  letters  of  gold,  and  held  up  to  the  view 
of  all  Christendom.  If  a  man  cannot  support  a 
funnily  by  keeping  the  Sabbath,  he  certainly  cannot 
support  them  by  breaking  it.  "I  am  very  glad," 
said  the  man,  "  that  you  think  so.  I  think  so  myself. 
That  was  what  I  wanted— to  see  whether  we  think 
alike."  He  told  the  superintendent  that  he  liked  his 
situation,  and  should  be  very  sorry  to  lose  it,  but  that 
he  could  not  go  with  the  mail  on  the  Sabbath ;  that 
he  wished  to  attend  public  worship,  and  go  with  his 
children  to  the  Sabbath  school.  He  did  not  lose  his 
place,  nor  did  he  suffer  in  a  pecuniary  point  of  view. 
He  prospered  more  than  before,  and  lives  to  bear  his 
testimony,  not  only  to  the  duty,  but  to  the  utility,  even 
for  this  world,  of  keeping  the  Sabbath.  The  pros- 
pects of  children  whose  parents  go  regularly  with 
them  to  the  house  of  God  on  the  Sabbath,  are  far  dif- 
ferent from  those  of  children  whose  parents  go  with 
134 


19 

the  rail-cars,  or  engage  in  secular  business  on  that  day. 
The  Lord  visits  the  iniquities  of  the  fathers  upon  the 
children  to  tJie  third  and  fourth  generation  of  those 
wlio  hate  him,  and  shows  mercy  to  thousands  of  those 
who  love  him  and  keep  his  commandments.  In  the 
way  of  righteousness  there  is  life,  and  in  the  pathway 
thereof  there  is  no  death. 

There  is  a  sense  in  which,  under  God,  a  man  owns 
himself.  But  he  has  no  such  title  even  to  himself,  as 
gives  him  a  ri^ht  to  employ  himself  in  worldly  busi- 
ness on  the  Sabbath.  That  right  was  not  given,  when 
his  body  and  soul  were  given.  When  a  man  buys  a 
horse  he  owns  him.  But  he  has  no  such  title  as  gives 
him  a  right  to  use  the  horse  in  secular  business  on  the 
Sabbath.  That  right  was  not  given,  when  the  horse 
xoas  given.  A  man  raises  an  ox  on  his  farm ;  but  that 
gives  him  no  right  to  employ  the  beast  in  worldly 
business  on  the  Sabbath.  That  right  was  not  given, 
when  the  beast  was  given.  On  the  contrary,  that 
right  was  expressly  withheld  by  the  Maker  and  Owner 
of  the  beast.  Though  the  heaven  of  heavens  cannot 
contain  him,  yet  he  cares  even  for  oxen^  and  provides 
for  their  wants.  He  has  guarantied  to  them  one  day 
of  rest  in  seven,  and  he  will  not  suffer  any  one  to  de- 
prive them  of  it  with  impunity. 

Men  have  a  right  to  fire  and  to  water.  But  it  is 
only  for  the  purposes  for  which  those  elements  were 
made.  A  man  has  no  such  right  to  fire,  that  he  may 
throw  it  into  his  neighbour's  building.  He  has  no 
such  right  to  water  that  he  may  drown  his  neighbour's 
child  in  it.  And  he  has  no  such  right  to  fire,  or  water, 
as  makes  it  proper  to  kindle  the  one,  or  raise  the  steam 
of  the  other,  to  run  a  rail-car  on  the  Sabbath,  for 
purposes  of  worldly  gain.  That  right  was  not  given, 
when  the  fire  and  water  were  given.  Nor  was  the 
wind  given  to  take  a  vessel  from  the  harbour  on  the 
Sabbath,  carrying  the  sailors  away  from  the  house  of 
God  and  all  the  means  of  grace,  for  the  purpose  of 
making  money.  And  men  have  no  moral  right  to 
employ  it  for  that  end. 

They  have  no  right  to  the  elements,  or  the  animals, 

135 


20 

except  for  the  purposes  for  which  they  were  made  and 
given  to  men.  To  be  employed  in  secular  business 
on  the  Sabbath  is  not  one  of  those  purposes.  No 
man  has  a  right  so  to  employ  them,  and  if  he  does  so, 
it  is  wholly  ivithont  right.  It  is  also  in  opposition 
to  an  express  statute,  written,  by  the  finger  of  God, 
on  tables  of  stone,  among  the  permanent,  unchanging 
laws  of  his  kingdom,  which  will  be  binding,  in  their 
spirit,  upon  all  who  shall  know  them,  in  all  countries, 
to  the  end  of  time. 

//  is  ill  opposition  to  another  law;  not  merely  to 
that  which  ivas  written  on  the  tables  of  stone,  hut  to 
a  law  written^  by  the  finger  of  God,  on  the  nature 
of  both  man  and  beast.  They  ivere  not  made  for 
seven  days''  labour  in  a  week,  and  they  cannot  en- 
dure it,  without  lessening  their  health  and  shorten- 
ing  their  lives. 

The  sabbatical  institution  is  not  a  positive,  or  morxil 
institution  merely.  It  is  based  upon  a  natural  law. 
And  if  it  is  the  duty  of  labouring  men  not  to  commit 
suicide,  it  is  their  duty  to  keep  the  Sabbath. 

In  the  year  1832,  the  British  House  of  Commons 
appointed  a  committee  to  investigate  the  effects  of 
labouring  seven  days  in  a  week,  compared  with  those 
of  labouring  only  six,  and  resting  one.  That  commit- 
tee consisted  of  Sir  Andrew  Agnew,  Sir  Robert  Peel, 
Sir  Robert  Inglis,  Sir  Thomas  Baring,  Sir  George 
Murray,  Fowell  Buxton,  Lord  Morpeth,  Lord  Ashley, 
Lord  Viscount  Sandon,  and  twenty  other  members 
of  Parliament.  They  examined  a  great  number  of 
witnesses,  of  various  professions  and  employments. 
Among  them  was  John  Richard  Farre,  M.D.,  of  Lon- 
don; of  whom  they  speak  as  "an  acute  and  experi- 
enced physician."     The  following  is  his  testimony. 

"  I  have  practised  as  a  physician  between  thirty  and 
forty  years;  and,  during  the  early  part  of  my  life,  as 
the  physician  of  a  public  medical  institution,  I  had 
charge  of  the  poor  in  one  of  the  most  populous  dis- 
tricts of  London.  I  have  had  occasion  to  observe  the 
effect  of  the  observance  and  non-observance  of  the 
seventh  day  of  rest  during  this  time.  I  have  been  iu 
136 


21 

the  habit,  during  a  great  many  years,  of  considering 
the  uses  of  the  Sabbath,  and  of  observing  its  abuses. 
The  abases  are  chiefly  manifested  in  labour  and  dis- 
sipation. Its  use,  medically  speaking,  is  that  of  a  day 
of  rest.  As  a  day  of  rest,  I  view  it  as  a  day  of  com- 
pensation for  the  inadequate  restorative  power  of  the 
body  under  continued  labour  and  excitement.  A 
physician  always  has  respect  to  the  preservation  of 
the  restorative  power ;  because,  if  once  this  be  lost, 
his  healing  office  is  at  an  end.  A  physician  is  anx- 
ious to  preserve  the  balance  of  circulation,  as  neces- 
sary to  the  restorative  power  of  the  body.  The  ordi- 
nary exertions  of  man  run  down  the  circulation  every 
day  of  his  life  ;  and  the  first  general  law  of  nature,  by 
which  God  prevents  man  from  destro^dng  himself,  is 
the  alternating  of  day  and  night,  that  repose  may  suc- 
ceed action.  But  although  the  night  apparently  equal- 
izes the  circulation,  yet  it  does  not  sufficiently  restore 
its  balance  for  the  attainment  of  a  long  life.  Hence, 
one  day  in  seven,  by  the  bounty  of  Providence,  is 
thrown  in  as  a  day  of  compensation,  to  perfect,  by  its 
repose,  the  animal  system.  You  may  easily  determine 
this  question,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  by  trying  it  on  beasts 
of  burden.  Take  that  fine  animal,  the  horse,  and 
work  him  to  the  full  extent  of  his  powers  every  day 
in  the  week,  or  give  him  rest  one  day  in  seven,  and 
you  will  soon  perceive,  by  the  superior  vigour  with 
which  he  performs  his  functions  on  the  other  six  days, 
that  this  rest  is  necessary  to  his  well-being.  Man, 
possessing  a  superior  nature,  is  borne  aloiig  by  the 
very  vigour  of  his  mind,  so  that  the  injury  of  contin- 
ued diurnal  exertion  and  excitement  on  his  animal 
system  is  not  so  immediately  apparent  as  it  is  in  the 
brute ;  but,  in  the  long  run,  he  breaks  down  more 
suddenly;  it  abridges  the  length  of  his  life,  and  that 
vigour  of  his  old  age  which  (as  to  mere  animal  power) 
ought  to  be  the  object  of  his  preservation.  I  consider, 
therefore,  that  in  the  bountiful  provision  of  Providence 
for  the  preservation  of  human  life,  the  sabbatical  ap- 
pointment is  not,  as  it  has  been  sometimes  theologi- 
cally viewed,  simply  a  precept  partaking  of  the  nature 
m2  137 


22 

of  a  political  institution,  but  that  it  is  to  be  numbered 
amongst  the  natural  duties,  if  the  preservation  of  life 
be  admitted  to  be  a  duty,  and  the  premature  destruc- 
tion of  it  a  suicidal  act.  This  is  said  simply  as  a  phy- 
sician, and  without  reference  at  all  to  the  theological 
question ;  but  if  you  consider  further  the  proper  effects 
of  real  Christianity,  namely,  peace  of  mind,  confiding 
trust  in  God,  and  good-will  to  man,  you  will  perceive 
in  this  source  of  renewed  vigour  to  the  mind,  and 
through  the  mind  to  the  body,  an  additional  spring  of 
life  imparted  from  this  higher  use  of  the  Sabbath  as  a 
holy  rest.  Were  I  to  pursue  this  part  of  the  question, 
1  should  be  touching  on  the  duties  committed  to  the 
clergy :  but  this  I  will  say, — that  researches  in  physi- 
ology^ by  the  analogy  of  the  working  of  Providence 
in  nature,  will  show  that  the  divine  commandment  is 
not  to  be  considered  as  an  arbitrary  enactment,  but 
as  an  appointment  necessary  to  man.  This  is  the 
position  in  which  I  would  place  it,  as  contradistin- 
guished from  precept  and  legislation ;  I  would  point 
out  the  sabbatical  rest  as  necessary  to  man,  and  that 
the  great  enemies  of  the  Sabbath,  and  consequently 
the  enemies  of  man,  are,  all  laborious  exercises  of  the 
body  or  mind,  and  dissipation,  which  force  the  circu- 
lation on  that  day  in  which  it  should  repose ;  while 
relaxation  from  the  ordinary  cares  of  life,  the  enjoy- 
ment of  this  repose  in  the  bosom  of  one's  family,  with 
the  religious  studies  and  duties  which  the  day  en- 
joins,— not  one  of  which,  if  rightly  exercised,  tends  to 
abridge  life, — constitute  the  beneficial  and  appropri- 
ate service  of  the  day. 

"  I  have  found  it  essential  to  my  own  well-being, 
as  a  physician,  to  abridge  my  labour  on  the  Sabbath 
to  what  is  actually  necessary.  I  have  frequently 
observed  the  premature  death  of  medical  men  from 
continued  exertion.  In  warm  climates  and  in  active 
service  this  is  painfully  apparent.  I  have  advised  the 
clergyman  also,  in  lieu  of  his  Sabbath,  to  rest  one  day 
in  the  week;  it  forms  a  continual  prescription  of  mine. 
I  have  seen  many  destroyed  by  their  duties  on  that 
day;  and  to  preserve  others,  I  have  frequently  sus- 
138 


23 

pended  them,  for  a  season,  from  the  discharge  of  those 
duties.  1  would  say,  further,  that,  quitting  the  grosser 
evils  of  mere  animal  living  from  over-stimulation  and 
undue  exercise  of  body,  the  working  of  the  mind  in 
one  continued  train  of  thought  is  destructive  of  life  in 
the  most  distinguished  class  of  society,  and  that  sena- 
tors themselves  stand  in  need  of  reform  in  that  par- 
ticular. I  have  observed  many  of  them  destroyed 
by  neglecting  this  economy  of  life.  Therefore,  to  all 
men,  of  whatever  class,  who  must  necessarily  be  occu- 
pied six  days  in  the  week,  I  would  recommend  to 
abstain  on  the  seventh;  and,  in  the  course  of  life,  by 
giving  to  their  bodies  the  repose,  and  to  their  minds 
the  change  of  ideas,  suited  to  the  day,  they  would 
assuredly  gain  by  it.  In  fact,  by  the  increased  vigour 
imparted,  more  mental  work  would  be  accomplished 
in  their  Vives.  A  human  being  is  so  constituted  that 
he  needs  a  day  of  rest  both  from  mental  and  bodily 
labour." 

Sach  is  the  opinion  of  this  distinguished  man.  Nor 
is  it  peculiar  to  him.  Other  physicians  of  great  emi- 
nence, and  in  great  numbers,  have  expressed  the 
same;  and  facts  show  that  this  opinion  is  correct. 
3Ie?i  who.  labour  seven  days  in  a  week  are  not  as 
healtJiy,  and  do  not  ordinarily  live  as  long,  as  those 
who  work  hut  six,  and  rest  one.  Many  a  man  has 
lost  his  reason  and  his  life,  who,  had  he  kept  the  Sab- 
batli,  might  have  continued  to  enjoy  them. 

The  celebrated  VVilberforce  ascribes  liis  continuance 
for  so  long  a  time,  under  such  a  pressure  of  cares  and 
labours,  in  no  small  degree,  to  his  conscientious  and 
habitual  observance  of  the  Sabbath.  "  0 !  what  a 
blessed  day,"  he  says,  "is  the  Sabbath,  which  allows 
us  a  precious  interval  wherein  to  pause,  to  come  out 
from  the  thickets  of  worldly  concerns,  and  giv-e  our- 
selves up  to  heavenly  and  spiritual  objects.  Ohserva^ 
Hon  and  my  own  exjierience  have  convinced  me  that 
there  is  a  special  blessing  on  a  right  employment  of 
these  intervals.  One  of  their  prime  objects,  in  my 
judgment,  is,  to  strengthen  our  impressions  of  invisi- 
ble things,  and  to  induce  a  habit  of  living  much  under 

139 


24 

their  influence."  "  0 !  what  a  blessing  is  Sunday, 
interposed  between  the  waves  of  worldly  business, 
like  the  divine  path  of  the  Israelites  through  Jordan," 
"  Blessed  be  God,  who  hath  appointed  the  Sabbath, 
and  interposed  these  seasons  of  recollection."  "  It  is 
a  blessed  thing  to  have  the  Sunday  devoted  to  God." 
"  There  is  nothing  in  which  I  would  recommend  you 
to  be  more  strictly  conscientious,  than  in  keeping  the 
Sabbatli  holy.  By  this  1  mean  not  only  abstaining 
from  all  im becoming  sports,  and  common  business, 
but  from  consuming  time  in  frivolous  conversation, 
paying  or  receiving  visits,  which,  among  relations, 
often  -leads  to  a  sad  waste'of  this  precious  day.  I  can 
truly  declare  that  to  me  (he  Sabbath  has  been  inval- 
uable.^^ 

In  writing  to  his  friend,  he  says,  "  I  am  strongly 
impressed  by  the  recollection  of  your  endeavour  to 
prevail  upon  the  lawyers  to  give  up  Sunday  consul- 
tations, in  which  poor  Romilly  would  not  concur." 
What  became  of  this  same  poor  Romilly,*  who  would 
not  consent,  even  at  the  solicitation  of  his  friend,  to 
give  up  Sunday  consultations?  He  lost  his  reason, 
and  terminated  his  own  life.  Four  years  afterwards, 
Castlereagh  came  to  the  same  untimely  end.  When 
Wilberforce  heard  of  it,  he  exclaimed,  "Poor  fellow! 
He  was  certainly  deranged — the  effect,  probably,  of 
continued  wear  of  mind.  The  strong  impression  on 
my  mind  is,  that  it  is  the  eftect  of  the  non-observance 
of  the  Sabbath;  both  as  to  abstracting  from  politics, 
and  from  the  constant  recurring  of  the  same  reflec- 
tions, and  as  correcting  the  false  views  of  worldly 
things,  and  bringing  them  down  to  their  true  diminu- 
tiveness. 

"  Poor  Castlereagh!  He  was  the  last  man  in  the 
world  who  appeared  to  be  likely  to  be  carried  away 
into  the  commission  of  such  an  act ;  so  cool,  so  self- 
possessed."  "  It  is  curious  to  hear  the  newspapers 
speaking  of  iixcessant  application  to  business;  forget- 
ting that  by  the  weekly  admission  of  a  day  of  re'st, 

*  Sir  Samuel  Romilly,  solicitor-general  of  England  during  the  ad- 
ministration of  Fox,  who  committed  suicide  November  2,  1818. 
140 


25 

which  our  Maker  has  enjoinedj  our  faculties  would 
be  preserved  from  the  effect  of  this  constant  strain." 
Being  reminded  again,  by  the  death  of  .Castlereagh, 
of  the  death  of  Sir  Samuel  Romilly,  he  said,  "  If  he 
had  suffered  his  mind  to  enjoy  such  occasional  remis- 
sion, it  is  highly  probable  that  the  struigs  of  life  would 
never  have  snapped  from  over-tension.  Alas!  alas! 
Poor  fellow." 

Well  might  Dr.  Farre  say,  "  The  working  of  mind 
in  one  continued  train  of  thought  is  destructive  of  life 
in  the  most  distinguished  class  of  society;  and  sena- 
tors themselves  need  reform  in  that  particular.  I 
have  observed  many  of  them  destroyed  by  neglectuig 
this  economy  of  life." 

A  distinguished  financier,  charged  with  an  im- 
mense amount  of  property  during  the  great  pecuni- 
ary pressure  of  1836  and  '37,  said,  "  I  should  have 
been  a  dead  man,  had  it  not  been  for  the  Sabbath. 
Obliged  to  work  from  morning  till  night,  through  the 
whole,  week,  I  felt  on  Saturday,  especially  Saturday 
afternoon,  as  if  I  must  have  rest.  It  was  like  going 
into  a  dense  fog.  Every  thing  looked  dark  and 
gloomy,  as  if  nothing  could  be  saved.  I  dismissed 
all,  and  kept  the  Sabbath  in  the  good  old  way.  On 
Monday  it  was  all  bright  sunshine.  I  could  see 
through,  and  I  got  through.  But  had  it  not  been  for 
the  Sabi3ath,  I  have  no  doubt  I  should  have  been  in 
the  grave." 

A  distinguished  merchant,  who,  for  the  last  twenty 
years,  has  done  a  vast  amount  of  business,  remarked 
to  the  writer,  "  Had  it  not  been  for  the  Sabbath,  I 
have  no  doubt  I  should  have  been  a  maniac  long 
ago.?'  This  was  mentioned  in  a  company  of  mer- 
chants, when  one  remarked,  "  That  is  the  case  ex- 
actly with  Mr.  — — .  He  was  one  of  our  greatest 
importers.  He  used  to  say  that  the  Sabbath  was  the 
best  day  in  the  week  to  plan  successful  voyages; 
showing  that  his  mind  had  no  Sabbath.  He  has 
been  in  the  Insane  Hospital  for  years,  and  will  prob- 
ably die   tliere."     Many  men   are   there,  or   in  the 

3  141 


26 

maniac's  grave,  because  they  had  no  Sabbath.  They 
broke  a  law  of >  nature,  and  of  nature's  God,  and 
found  "  the  way  of  transgressors  to  be  liard."  Such 
cases  are  so  numerous  that  a  British  writer  remarks, 
"We  iiev^er  knew  a  man  work  seven  days  in  a  week, 
who  did  not  kill  himself,  or  kill  his  mind." 

Thomas  Sewall,  M.  D.,  professor  of  pathology  and 
the  practice  of  medicine  in  the  Columbian  College, 
Washington,  D.  C,  remarks,  "  While  I  consider  it 
the  more  important  design  of  the  institution  of  the 
Sabbath  to  assist  in  religious  devotion  and  advance 
man's  spiritual  welfare,  I  have  long  held  the  opinion 
that  one  of  its  chief  benefits  has  reference  to  his 
physical  and  intellectual  constitution;  affording  him, 
as  it  does,  one  day  in  seven  for  the  renovation  of  his 
exhausted  energies  of  body  and  mind ;  a  proportion 
of  lime  small  enough,  according  to  the  results  of  my 
observation,  for  the  accomplishment  of  this  object. 
I  have  remarked,  as  a  general  fact,  that  those  to 
whom  the  Sabbath  brings  the  most  entire  rest  from 
their  habitual  labours,  perform  the  secular  duties  of 
the  week  more  vigorously  and  better,  than  those 
who  continue  them  without  intermission.  For  a 
number  of  years,  I  have  been  in  close  intimacy  and 
intercourse  with  men  in  public  life,  officers  of  the 
government,  and  representatives  in  the  national  legis- 
lature, and  eminent  jurists,  whose  labours  are  gener- 
ally great,  and  whose  duties  are  ardent  and  pressing. 
Some  of  them  have  considered  it  their  privilege,  as 
well  as  their  duty,  to  suspend  their  public  functions, 
while  others  have  continued  them  to  the  going  down 
of  the  Sabbath  sun.  Upon  the  commencement  of  the 
secular  week,  the  one  class  arise  with  all  their  powers 
invigorated  and  refreshed,  while  the  other  come  to 
their  duties  with  body  and  mind  jaded  and  out  of 
tone.  I  have  no  hesitation  in  declaring  it  as  my 
opinion  that,  if  the  Sabbath  were  universally  observed, 
as  a  day  of  devotion  and  of  rest  from  secular  occupa- 
tions, far  more  work  of  body  and  mind  would  be 
accomplished,  and  be  better  done;  more  health 
142 


27 

vmnJd  be  enjoyed^  loith  more  of  ivealfh  and  indejjen- 
dence,  and  we  should  have  far  less  of  crime,  and 
2}0verty,  and  suffering.'^'' 

Reuben  D.  Mussey,  M.D.,  professor  of  surgery  in 
the  Ohio  Medical  College,  remarks,  "  The  Sabbath 
should  be  regarded  as  a  most  benevolent  institution, 
adapted  alike  to  the  physical,  mental,  and  moral 
wants  of  mau.  The  experiment  has  been  made  with 
animals,  and  the  value  of  one  day's  rest  in  seven,  for 
those  that  labour,  in  recruiting  their  energies  and  pro- 
longing their  activity,  has  been  established  beyond  a 
doubt.  In  addition  to  constant  bodily  labour,  tlie  cor- 
roding influence  of  incessant  mental  exertion  and  so- 
licitude cannot  fail  to  induce  premature  decay,  and  to 
shorten  life.  And  there  cannot  be  a  reasonable  doubt, 
that,  under  the  due  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  life 
would,  on  the  average,  be  prolonged  more  than  one 
seventh  of  its  whole  period ;  that  is,  more  than  seven 
years  in  fifty." 

John  P.  Harrison,  M.D.,  professor  of  materia  med- 
ica  in  the  same  institution,  adds,  "  The  Sabbath  was 
made  for  man.  This  truth  is  forcibly  exemplified  in 
the  benefits  conferred  on  the  bodies  of  men  by  a  pro- 
per observance  of  God's  holy  day  of  rest.  Incessant, 
uninterrupted  toil  wears  out  the  energies  of  man's  lim- 
ited strength.  The  elasticity  of  the  spring  is  destroyed 
by  unabated  pressure.  The  nervous  system  is  espe- 
cially relieved  by  alternations  of  activity  and  repose, 
and  by  diversification  of  impressions.  The  sacred 
quietness  of  the  Sabbath  takes  off  from  the  brain  that 
excessive  fulness  of  blood  which  the  mental  and  bodily 
exercise  of  six  days  is  calculated  to  produce.  The 
change  of  dress,  the  social  worship,  the  physical  rest, 
and  the  transfer  of  thought  and  feeling  from  earthly 
interests  to  higher  objects,  not  only  harmonize  the  mo- 
ral, but  they  refresh  and  invigorate  the  bodily  powers. 
All  experience  is  expressive  of  this  universal  proposi- 
tion, that  a  longer  life,  and  a  greater  degree  of  health, 
are  the  sure  results  of  a  careful  regard  to  the  com- 
mandment, '  Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it 
holy:  " 

143 


2S 

Tn  the  above  remarlcs  of  Professors  Miissey  and 
Harrison,  numerous  other  educated  and  highly  res- 
pectable physicians  concur. 

Ebenezer  Alden,  M.D.,  of  Massachusetts,  remarks, 
"After  mucli  reflection,  I  am  satisfied  that  the  Sab- 
bath was  made  for  man,  as  a  j^hysical,  as  well  as  an 
intellectual  and  moral  being.  I  View  it  as  a  day  of 
compensation  for  the  inadequate  restorative  power 
of  the  body,  under  continued  labour  and  excitement. 
The  Sabbath  holds  the  same  relation  to  the  week  that 
night  does  to  day.  It  is  mercifully  interposed  as  an 
interruption  of  labour;  a  day  when  the  cares  and 
anxieties  of  life,  so  far  as  they  relate  to  the  body, 
should  be  laid  aside,  that  man  may  recruit  his  strength 
and  renew  his  exhausted  powers.  Unnecessary  la- 
bour on  the  Sabbath  is  a  physical  sin,  a  transgression 
of  a  physical  law,  a  law  to  which  a  penalty  is  attach- 
ed, a  penalty  which  cannot  be  evaded.  Whoever 
tramples  upon  the  Sabbath,  making  it  a  day  of  toil, 
instead  of  a  day  of  rest,  is  living  ^  too  fast,'  and  will, 
in  consequence,  the  sooner  reach,  ^that  bourn  from 
whence  no  traveller  returns.'  Such  is  my  opinion, 
and  such,  I  apprehend,  will  be  found  to  be  substan- 
tially the  opinion  of  every  reflecting  and  well-educated 
physician." 

At  a  regular  meeting  of  the  New  Haven  Medical  As- 
sociation, composed  of  twenty-five  physicians,  among 
whom  were  the  professors  of  the  Medical  College,  the- 
following  questions  were  considered: 

1.  Is  ^he  position  taken  by  Dr.  Farre,  in  his  testi- 
mony before  the  Committee  of  the  British  House  of 
Commons,  in  your  view,  correct? 

2.  Will  men  who  labour  but  six  days  in  a  week 
be  more  healthy  and  live  longer,  other  things  being 
equal,  than  those  who  labour  seven? 

3.  Will  they  do  pi  ore  work,  and  do  it  in  a  better 
manner? 

The  vote  on  the  above  was  unanimously  in  the 
affirmative ;  signed  by  Eli  Ives,  chairman,  and  Pliny 
A.  Jewett,  clerk. 

John  C.  Warren,  M.D.,  of  Boston,  professor  in  the 
144 


29 

Medical  College  of  Harvard  University,  observes,  "  I 
concur  entirely  in  the  opinion  expressed  by  Dr.  Farre, 
whom  I  personally  know  as  a  physician  of  the  highest 
respectability.  The  utility  of  observing  the  Sabbath 
as  a  day  of  rest,  considered  in  a  secular  point  of  view, 
rests  upon  one  of  the  most  general  of  the  laws  of 
nature,  the  law  of  periodicity.  So  far  as  my  obser- 
vation has  extended,  those  persons  who  are  in  the 
habit  of  avoiding  worldly  cares  on  the  Sabbath,  are 
those  most  remarkable  for  the  perfect  performance 
of  their  duties  during  the  week.  The  influence  of  a 
change  of  thought,  on  the  Sabbath,  upon  the  minds  of 
such  persons,  resembles  that  of  the  change  of  food 
upon  the  body.  It  seems  to  give  a  fresh  spring  to 
the  mental  operations,  as  the  latter  does  to  the  physi- 
cal. I  have  a  firm  belief  that  such  persons  are  able 
to  do  more  work,  aj}d  do  it  in  a  better  manner^  in 
six  days,  than  if  they  worked  the  ivhole  seven.  The 
breathing  of  the  pure  and  subUme  atmosphere  of  a 
reUgious  Sabbath  refreshes  and  invigorates  the  spirit. 
It  forms  an  epoch  in  our  existence  from  which  we 
receiv^e  a  new  impulse,  and  thus  constitutes  the  best 
preparation  for  the  labours  of  the  following  week.'^ 

Gilbert  Smith,  M.  D.,  late  president  of  the  College 
of  Physicians  in  the  city  of  New  York,  says,  "  I  have 
read  with  much  satisfaction  Dr.  Farre's  testimony,  and 
unhesitatingly  subscribe  to  his  views." 

The  opinions  of  the  above  and  many  other  distin- 
guished medical  gentlemen  are  abundantly  confirmed 
by  facts.  Men  who  labour  but  six  days  in  a  week 
are  more  healthy  and  strong  than  those  who  labour 
seven.  They  do  more  work,  and  live,  upon  an  aver- 
age, to  a  greater  age.  This  has  been  strikingly  ex- 
emplified in  numerous  cases.  Eight  respectable  phy- 
sicians of  Rochester,  New  York,  viz.,  F.  Backus, 
M.D.;  J.  E.  El  wood,  M.D.;  M.  Strong,  M.D.;  J.  W. 
Smith,  M.  D.;  J.  Brewster,  M.  D.;  J.  H.  Hamilton, 
M.  D.;  E.  W.  Armstrong,  M.  D.;  and  M.  Long,  M.  D., 
have  given  the  following  testimony:  "We  fully  con- 
cur in  the  opinions  expressed  by  Drs.  Farre  and 
Warren.  Having  most  of  us  lived  on  the  Erie  Canal 
.         N  3*  145 


30 

since  its  completion,  we  have  uniformly  witnessed 
the  same  deteriorating  effects  of  seven  days'  working 
upon  the  physical  constitution,  both  of  man  and  beast, 
as  have  been  so  ably  depicted  by  Dr.  Farre."  They 
are  more  sickly  than  others,  bring  upon  themselves, 
in  great  numbers,  a  premature  old  age,  and  sink  to  an 
untimely  grave.  Nor  is  it  true  that  men  who  labour 
six  days  in  a  week,  and  rest  on  one,  are  more  healthy, 
merely,  and  live  longer  than  those  who  labour  seven ; 
but  they  do  more  ivork,  and  in  a  better  manner.  The 
experiment  was  tried  in  England  upon  two  thousand 
men.  They  were  employed  for  years,  seven  days  in 
a  week.  To  render  them  contented  in  giving  up 
their  right  to  the  Sabbath  as  a  day  of  rest,  that  birth- 
right of  the  human  family,  they  paid  them  double 
wages  on  that  day,  eight  days  wages  for  seven  days' 
work.  But  they  could  not  keep  them  healthy,  nor 
make  them  moral.  Nor  can  men  ever  be  made 
moral,  or  kept  most  healthy  in  that  way.  Things 
went  badly,  and  they  changed  their  course — employed 
the  workmen  only  six  days  in  a  week,  and  allowed 
them  rest  on  the  Sabbath.  The  consequence  was, 
that  they  did  more  work  than  ever  before.  This, 
the  superintendent  said,  was  owing  to  two  causes, 
viz.,  the  demoralization  of  the  peojjle  under  the  first 
system,  and  their  exhaustion  of  bodily  strength, 
which  was  visible  to  the  most  casual  observer.  Such 
a  course  will  always  demoralize  men,  and  diminish 
their  strength. 

It  was  tried  on  the  northern  frontier  of  the  United 
States,  during  the  last  war.  When  building  vessels, 
making  roads,  and  performing  other  laborious  services, 
the  commander  stated  that  it  was  not  profitable  to  em- 
ploy the  men  on  the  Sabbath,  for  it  was  found  that  they 
could  not,  in  the  course  of  the  week,  do  as  much  work. 

In  the  year  1S39,  a  committee  was  appointed  in  the 
legislature  of  Pennsylvania,  who  made  a  report  with 
regard  to  the  employment  of  labourers  on  their  canals. 
In  that  report,  they  say,  in  reference  to  those  who 
had  petitioned  against  the  employment  of  the  work- 
men on  the  Sabbath,  "  They  assert,  as  the  result  of 
146 


31 

their  experience,  that  both  man  and  beast  can  do  more 
work  by  resting  one  day  in  seven,  than  by  working  on 
the  whole  seven."  They  then  add,  "  Your  committee 
feel  free  to  confess,  that  their  oivn  experience  as  busi- 
ness men,  farmers,  or  legislators,  corresponds  with  the 
assertion." 

The  minister  of  marine  in  France  has  addressed  a 
letter  to  all  the  maritime  prefects,  directing  that  no 
workman,  except  in  case  of  absolute  necessity,  be 
employed  in  the  government  dock-yards  on  the  Sab- 
bath. One  reason  which  he  gives  is,  that  men  who 
do  not  rest  on  the  Sabbath  do  not  perform  as  much 
.abour  during  the  week,  and,  of  course,  that  it  is  not 
profitable  to  the  state  to  have  labour  performed  on 
that  day.  Another  reason  is,  that  it  is  useful  to  the 
state  to  promote  among  the  labouring  classes  the  reli- 
gious observance  of  the  Sabbath.  This  is,  no  doubt, 
the  case.  And  one  way  to  promote  among  the  la- 
bouring classes,  the  religious  observance  of  the  Sab- 
bath is,  for  functionaries  of  the  government  to  suspend 
their  secular  business,  and  religiously  observe  the  day 
themselves.  Let  the  distinguished  classes  of  society 
set  an  example  of  keeping  the  Sabbath,  and  others 
may  be  expected  to  follow  it.  And  let  employers  in 
no  case  unnecessarily  deprive  those  whom  they  em- 
ploy, of  the  rest  and  privileges  which  God  has  provi- 
ded for  them,  and  the  enjoyment  of  which  would  pro- 
mote the  mutual  good  of  all.  The  policy  ivhich  seeks 
to  gain  by  the  violation  of  the  laws  ivhich  infinite 
loisdom  and  goodness  have  established,  is  selfish, 
short-sighted,  and  defeats  its  own  end. 

The  experiment  was  tried  in  a  large  flouring  estab- 
lishment. For  a  number  of  years  they  worked  the 
mills  seven  days  in  a  week.  The  superintendent  was 
then  changed.  He  ordered  all  the  works  to  be  stop- 
ped at  eleven  o'clock  on  Saturday  night,  and  to  start 
none  of  them  till  one  o'clock  on  Monday  morning, 
thus  allowing  a  full  Sabbath  every  week.  And  the 
same  men,  during  the  year,  actually  ground  thousands 
of  bushels  more  than  had  ever  been  ground,  in  a 
single  year,  in  that  establishment  before.     The  men, 

147 


32 

having  been  permitted  to  cleanse  themselves^  put  on 
their  best  apparel,  rest  from  wordly  business,  go  with 
their  families  to  the  house  of  God,  and  devote  the 
Sabbath  to  its  appropriate  duties,  were  more  healthy, 
moral,  punctual  and  dihgent.  They  lost  less  time  in 
drinking,  dissipation  and  quarrels.  They  were  more 
clear-headed  and  whole-hearted,  kneAV  better  how  to 
do  things,  and  were  more  disposed  to  do  them  in  the 
right  way. 

This,  under  similar  circumstances,  will  always  be 
the  case.  Men  who  labour  six  days  in  a  week,  and 
rest  one,  can  do  more  work  in  all  kinds  of  business, 
and  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  do  it  in  a  better 
manner,  than  those  who  labour  seven.  The  Sabbath 
was  not  designed,  and  it  is  not  adapted  to  injure  men, 
even  in  their  business  for  this  world,  but  to  benefit 
them;  and  those  who  will  not  keep  it,  reject  their  own 
mercies. 

It  has  been  said  that  those  who  manufacture  salt 
by  boiling  must  violate  the  Sabbath,  because  it  will 
not  do  to  let  the  kettles  cool  down  as  often  as  once  a 
week.  But  a  gentleman  tried  the  experiment,  who 
said  that,  if  he  could  not  keep  the  Sabbath,  he  would 
not  make  salt.  He  had  thirty-two  kettles.  He  allow- 
ed the  fires  to  go  out,  and  all  the  works  to  stop,  from 
Saturday  till  Monday.  His  men  attended  public  wor- 
ship on  the  Sabbath.  In  the  course  of  the  season, 
they  boiled  seventy-eight  days,  and  made,  upon  an 
average,  over  two  hundred  bushels  of  salt  a  day — in 
all  fifteen  thousand  eight  hundred  and  seventy  bush- 
els ;  and  at  an  expense,  for  breakage  and  repairs,  of 
only  six  cents.  At  the  close  of  the  season,  he  told 
his  Sabbath-breaking  neighbours  how  much  he  had 
made ;  but  it  was  so  much  more  than  they  had  made 
themselves,  that  they  could  hardly  believe  him.  Their 
expenses  for  breakage  and  repairs  had  been  much 
greater  than  his.  Not  a  man,  with  the  same  dimen- 
sion of  kettles,  liad  made  as  much  salt  as  he.  Rest- 
ing on  the  Sabbath  does  not,  on  the  whole,  hinder 
men  in  their  business.  It  helps  them  both  as  to  the 
quantity  and  the  quality  of  their  work.  Even  fisher- 
148 


33 

men  abroad  on  the  ocean,  who  fish  but  six  days  hi  a 
weekj.ordmarily  prosper  better  tlian  those  who  fish 
seven. 

A  gentleman  who  resides  in  a  fishing  town,  and 
who  has  made  extensive  inquiries,  remarks,  "  Those 
who  fish  on  the  Sabbath  do  not,  ordinarily,  take  any 
more  during  the  season,  than  those  who  keep  the 
Sabbath.  They  do  not  make  more  money,  or  prosper 
better  for  this  world.  They  are  not  more  respectable 
or  useful,  nor  are  their  families.  Their  children  are 
not  more  moral,  and  it  seems  to  be  no  better  for  them, 
171  any  respect,  than  if  they  fished  and  did  business 
only  six  days  in  a  week. 

*•'  One  man  followed  fishing  eight  years.  The  first 
four  he  fished  on  the  Sabbath.  The  next  four  he 
strictly  kept  the  Sabbath,  and  is  satisfied  that  it  was 
for  his  advantage  in  a  temporal  point  of  view.  An- 
other man,  who  was  accustomed,  for  some  years,  to 
fish  on  the  Sabbath,  afterwards  discontinued  it,  and 
found  that  his  profits  were  greater  than  before.  An- 
other man  testifies  that,  in  the  year  182 7,  he  and  his 
men  took  more  fish  by  far  than  any  who  were  asso- 
ciated with  them,  though  he  kept  the  Sabbath,  and 
they  did  not.  It  was  invariably  his  practice  to  rest 
from  Saturday  till  Monday.  Though  it  was  an  un- 
favourable season  for  the  fisheries,  he  was  greatly 
prospered  in  every  way,  and  to  such  an  extent  that 
many  regarded  his  success  as  almost  miraculous. 

"Examples  like  the  above  might  be  multiplied  to 
almost  any  extent.  So  far  as  T  can  learn  by  diligent 
inquiry,  all  who  have  left  off  fishing  on  the  Sabbath, 
ivithout  an  exception,  think  the  change  has  been  for 
their  temporal  advantage. 

'^  He  who  has  been  more  successful  than  any  other 
among  us,  this  season,  has  strictly  kept  the  Sabbath, 
as  have  also  his  men.  They  went  to  the  coast  of 
Labrador,  were  gone  less  time  than  usual,  took  more 
fish  than  the  crew  of  any  other  vessel,  and  more  than 
they  could  bring  home.  They  gave  away  thirty-five 
hundred  fish  before  they  left  the  ground.  In  thirteen 
days  they  caught  eleven  hundred  quintals." 

n2  149 


34 

A  gentleman  belonging  to  another  fishing  town, 
which  sends  out  more  than  two  hundred  vessels  in  a 
year,  writes  as  follows:  "I  think  it  may  safely  be 
stated  that  those  vessels  which  have  not  fished  on  the 
Sabbath  have,  taken  together,  met  with  more  than 
07'dinary  success.  The  vessel  whose  earnings  were 
the  highest  the  last  year  and  the  year  before,  was  one 
on  board  which  the  Sabbath  was  kept  by  refraining 
from  labour,  and  by  religious  worship.  There  is  one 
firm  which  has  had  eight  vessels  in  its  employ  this 
season.  Seven  have  fished  on  the  Sabbath,  and  one 
has  not.  That  one  has  earned  seven  hundred  dollars 
more  than  the  most  successful  of  the  six.  There  are 
two  other  firms  employing  each  three  vessels.  Two 
out  of  the  three,  in  each  case,  have  kept  the  Sabbath, 
and  in  each  case  have  earned  more  than  two-thirds 
of  the  profit sP 

The  sabbatical  institution  is  in  accordance  with 
the  nature  of7nan,and  the  observance  of  it  is  profit- 
able unto  all  things. 

The  same  law  is  impressed,  by  the  same  divine 
hand,  on  the  nature  of  the  labouring  animals.  When 
employed  but  six  days  in  a  week,  and  allowed  to  rest 
one,  they  are  more  healthy  than  they  can  be  when 
employed  during  the  whole  seven.  They  do  more 
work,  and  live  longer. 

The  experiment  was  tried  on  a  hundred  and  twenty 
horses.  They  were  employed,  for  years,  seven  days 
in  a  week.  I3ut  they  became  unhealthy,  and  finally 
died  so  fast,  that  the  owner  thought  it  too  expensive 
and  put  them  on  a  six  days'  arrangement.  After  this 
he  was  not  obliged  to  replenish  them  one-fourth  part 
as  often  as  before.  Instead  of  sinking  continually,  his 
horses  came  up  again,  and  lived  years  longer  than  they 
could  have  done  on  the  other  plan. 

A  manufacturing  company,  which  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  carry  their  goods  to  market  with  their  own 
teams,  kept  them  employed  seven  days  in  a  week,  as 
that  was  the  time  in  which  they  could  go  to  the  mar- 
ket and  return.  But  by  permitting  the  teams  to  rest 
on  the  Sabbath,  they  found  that  they  could  drive 
150 


35 

them  the  same  distance  in  six  days  that  they  formerly 
did  in  seven,  and,  with  the  same  keeping,  preserve 
them  in  better  order. 

At  a  tavern  in  Pennsylvania,  a  man,  who  had 
arrived  the  evening  before,  was  asked,  on  Sabbath 
morning,  whether  he  intended  to  pursue  his  journey 
on  that  day.  He  answered,  "  No."  He  was  asked, 
"  Why  not  ?"  "  Because,'^  said  he,  "  I  am  on  a  long 
journey,  and  wish  to  perform  it  as  soon  as  I  can.  I 
have  long  been  accustomed  to  travel  on  horseback, 
and  have  found  that,  if  I  stop  on  the  Sabbath,  my 
horse  will  travel  further  during  the  week  than  if  I  do 
not." 

A  gentleman  in  Vermont,  who  was  in  the  habit  of 
driving  his  horses  twelve  miles  a  day,  seven  days  in 
a  week,  afterwards  changed  his  practice,  and  drove 
them  but  six  days,  allowing  them  to  rest  one.  He 
then  found  that,  with  the  same  keeping,  he  could 
drive  them  fifteen  miles  a  day,  and  preserve  them  in 
as  good  order  as  before.  So  that  a  man  may  rest  on 
the  Sabbath,  and  let  his  horses  rest,  yet  promote  the 
benefit  of  both,  and  be  in  all  respects  a  gainer. 

Two  neighbours  in  the  state  of  New  York,  each 
with  a  drove  of  sheep,  started  on  the  same  day  for  a 
distant  market.  One  started  several  hours  before  the 
other,  and  travelled  uniformly  every  day.  The  other 
rested  every  Sabbath.  Yet  he  arrived  at  the  market 
first,  with  his  flock  in  a  better  condition  than  that  of 
the  other.  In  giving  an  account  of  it,  he  said  that  he 
drove  his  sheep  on  Monday  about  seventeen  miles, 
on  Tuesday  not  over  sixteen,  and  so  lessening  each 
day,  till  on  Saturday  he  drove  them  only  about  eleven 
miles.  But  on  Monday,  after  resting  on  the  Sabbath, 
they  would  travel  again  seventeen  miles,  and  so  on 
each  week.  But  his  neighbour's  sheep,  which  were 
not  allowed  to  rest  on  the  Sabbath,  before  they  arrived 
at  the  market,  could  not  travel,  without  injury,  more 
than  six  or  eight  miles  in  a  day. 

Two  men  from  another  part  of  the  same  state,  each 
with  a  drove  of  sheep,  started  at  the  same  time  for 
another  market.     One  rested,  and  the  other  travelled, 

151 


36 

on  the  Sabbath,  through  the  whole  journey.  And 
the  man  who  kept  the  Sabbath  arrived  at  the  market 
as  many  days  before  the  other,  as  he  rested  Sabbath 
da37-s  on  the  road. 

A  number  of  men  started  together  from  Ohio,  with 
droves  of  cattle  for  Philadelphia.  They  had  often 
been  before,  and  had  been  accustomed  to  drive  on  the 
Sabbath  as  on  other  days.  One  had  now  changed  his 
views  as  to  the  propriety  of  travelling  on  that  day. 
On  Saturday  he  inquired  for  pastures.  His  associates 
wondered  that  so  shrewd  a  man  should  think  of  con- 
suming so  great  a  portion  of  his  profits  by  stopping 
with  such  a  drove  a  whole  day.  He  stopped,  how- 
ever, and  kept  the  Sabbath.  They,  thinking  that  they 
could  not  afford  to  do  so,  went  on.  On  Monday  he 
started  again.  In  the  course  of  the  week  he  passed 
them,  arrived  first  in  the  market,  and  sold  his  cattle 
to  great  advantage.  So  impressed  were  the  others 
with  the  benefits  of  thus  keeping  the  Sabbath,  that 
ever  afterwards  they  followed  his  example. 

A  gentleman  started  from  Connecticut,  with  his 
family,  for  Ohio.  He  was  on  the  road  about  four 
weeks,  and  rested  every  Sabbath.  From  morning  to 
night,  others,  journeying  the  same  way,  were  passing 
by.  Before  the  close  of  the  week  he  passed  them. 
Those  who  went  by  late  on  the  Sabbath  he  passed  on 
Monday;  those  who  went  by  a  little  earlier  he  passed 
on  Tuesday;  and  so  on,  till,  before  the  next  Sabbath, 
he  had  passed  them  all.  His  horses  were  no  better 
than  theirs,  nor  were  they  better  fed.  But  having 
had  the  benefit  of  resting  on  the  Sabbath,  according 
to  the  command  of  God  and  the  law  of  nature,  they 
could  out-travel  those  who  had  violated  that  law. 

A  company  of  men  in  the  state  of  New  York  pur- 
chased a  tract  of  land  in  Northern  Illinois,  and  started, 
with  their  families  and  teams,  to  take  possession  of  it. 
A  part  of  them  rested  on  the  Sabbath.  The  others 
continued  their  journey  on  that,  as  on  other  days. 
Before  the  next  Sabbath,  those  who  had  stopped, 
passed  by  the  others.  This  they  did  every  week,  and 
each  succeeding  week  a  little  earlier  than  they  did  the 
152 


37 

week  before.  Had  the  journey  continued,  they  would 
soon  have  been  so  fcir  ahead  that  the  others  would  not 
be  able  to  overtake  them  on  the  Sabbath.  They  were 
the  first  to  arrive  at  their  new  homes,  with  men  and 
teams  in  good  order.  Afterwards  the  others  came, 
jaded  and  worn  out  by  the  violation  of  the  law  of  na- 
ture and  the  command  of  God. 

Great  numbers  have  made  similar  experiments,  and 
uniformly  with  similar  results;  so  that  it  is  now  settled 
by  facts,  that  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath  is  required 
by  a  natural  laio,  and  that,  were  man  nothing  more 
than  an  animal,  and  were  his  existence  to  be  confined 
to  this  world,  it  would  be  for  his  interest  to  observe 
the  Sabbath.  Should  all  the  business,  which  is  not 
required  by  the  appropriate  duties  of  the  Sabbath,  be 
confined  to  six  days  in  a  week,  the  only  time  which 
God  has  made,  or  given  to  man,  or  to  which  he  has  a 
right,  for  that  purpose,  both  man  and  beast  might  en- 
joy higher  health,  obtain  longer  life,  and  do  more 
work,  and  in  a  better  manner,  than  by  the  secular  em- 
ployment of  the  whole  seven. 

But  man  is  an  angel  as  well  as  an  animal.  He 
has  a  soul  as  well  as  a  body.  The  Sabbath  was 
made  for  both,  especially  for  the  soul.  It  derives  its 
chief  importance  from  its  influence  on  that  which  is 
deathless.  It  is  the  great  institution  for  elevating, 
purifying,  and  blessing  the  soul,  and  fitting  it  not 
only  for  usefulness  and  happiness  on  earth,  but  for 
glory,  honour,  immortality,  and  eternal  life,  in 
heaven. 

Even  the  intellect  incessantly  employed,  becomes 
jaded,  enfeebled,  and  deranged.  Men  of  strong  and 
vigorous  powers,  disciplined  and  trained  for  the  most 
eff'ective  efl"orts,  have  found,  by  experience,  that  they 
can  accomplish  more,  and  in  a  better  manner,  by 
employing  the  mind,  especially  in  one  continued 
train,  not  over  six  days  in  a  week,  and  resting  one, 
than  they  can  by  employing  it  the  whole  seven. 
After  trying  both  ways,  they  find  that  they  can  ac- 
complish in  one  what  they  cannot  accomplish  in  the 
other,  and  have  thus  proved  that  the  Sabbath  was 

3  153 


38 

made  for  the  intellect,  as  well  as  the  other  parts  of 
man.  Scientific  and  literary  men,  who  study  but  six 
days  in  a  week,  ordinarily  make  greater  progress,  in 
the  course  of  the  year,  than  those  who  study  seven. 
Experience  has  shown  the  same  with  reference  to  stu- 
dents in  colleges.  After  the  rest  and  duties  of  the  Sab- 
bath, the  mind  is  in  a  better  state  for  vigorous  and 
successful  effort.  The  following  declaration  of  Sir 
Matthew  Hale  is  an  illustration  of  this  truth. 

"Though  my  hands  and  my  mind  have  been  as 
full  of  secular  business  both  before  and  after  I  was 
judge,  as,  it  may  be,  any  man's  in  England,  yet  I 
never  wanted  time  in  six  days  to  ripen  and  fit  my- 
self for  the  business  and  employments  I  had  to  do, 
though  I  borrowed  not  one  minute  from  the  Lord's 
day,  to  prepare  for  it,  by  study  or  otherwise.  But, 
on  the  other  hand,  if  I  had,  at  any  time,  borrowed 
from  this  day,  any  time  for  my  secular  employment, 
I  found  it  did  further  me  less  than  if  I  had  let  it 
alone;  and  therefore,  when  some  years'  experience, 
upon  a  most  attentive  and  vigilant  observation,  had 
given  me  this  instruction,  I  grew  peremptorily  re- 
solved never  in  this  kind  to  make  a  breach  upon  the 
Lord's  day,  which  I  have  now  strictly  observed  for 
more  than  thirty  years."  He  also  declared  that  it 
had  become  almost  proverbial  with  him,  when  any 
one  importuned  him  to  attend  to  secular  business  on 
the  Sabbath,  to  tell  them  that  if  they  expected  it,  to 
"  succeed  amiss,"  they  might  desire  him  to  undertake 
it  on  that  day;  that  he  feared  even  to  think  of  secu- 
lar business  on  the  Sabbath,  because  the  resolution 
then  taken  would  be  disappointed  or  unsuccessful; 
and  that  the  more  faithfully  he  applied  himself  to  the 
duties  of  the  Lord's  day,  the  more  happy  and  success- 
ful was  his  business  during  the  week. 

The  late  distinguished  Dr.  Wilson,  pastor  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church  in  Philadelphia,  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  before  he  became  a  preacher  of  the  gos- 
pel, was  an  eminent  lawyer  in  the  state  of  Delaware. 
He  was  accustomed,  when  pressed  with  business,  to 
make  out  his  briefs,  and  prepare  for  his  Monday's 
154 


39 

pleading  on  the  Sabbath.  But  he  so  uniformly  failed, 
during  the  week,  in  carrying  out  his  Sunday  plans, 
that  it  arrested  his  attention.  As  a  philosopher,  he 
inquired  into  the  cause  of  his  uniform  failure,  and 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  might  be,  and  probably 
was,  on  account  of  his  violation  of  the  Sabbath,  by 
employing  it  in  secular  business.  He  therefore,  from 
that  time,  abandoned  the  practice  of  doing  any  thing 
for  his  clients  on  that  day.  The  difficulty  ceased. 
His  efforts  on  Monday  were  as  successful  as  on  other 
days.  Such  were  the  facts  in  his  case,  and  many 
others  have  testified  to  similar  facts  in  their  experi- 
ence. 

A  mechanic  in  Massachusetts,  whose  business  re- 
quired special  skill  and  care,  was  accustomed,  at  times, 
when  pressed  with  business,  to  pursue  it  on  the  Sab- 
bath, after  having  followed  it  during  the  six  days  of 
the  week.  But  he  so  often  made  mistakes,  by  which 
he  lost  more  than  he  gained,  that  he  abandoned  the 
practice,  as  one  which  he  could  not  afford  to  continue. 
Mind  is  no  more  made  to  work  vigorously  and  con- 
tinuously in  one  course  of  effort  seven  days  in  a  week, 
than  the  body;  and  it  cannot  do  it  to  advantage. 

There  are  laws  of  mind,  as  well  as  of  body,  which 
no  man  can  annul;  and  they  have  penalties  which 
no  transgressor  can  evade.  He  may  seem  for  a  time 
to  escape,  and  even  to  prosper;  but  judgment  will 
come.  If  he  continues  his  course  of  transgression, 
he  will  wither  and  droop,  or,  long  before  the  proper 
time,  and  often  suddenly,  will  come  to  his  end,  and 
have  none  to  help  him.  The  memory  of  many  a 
man  can  recall  instances  among  his  own  acquaint- 
ances which  have  been  striking  illustrations  of  this 
truth.  Mind,  as  well  as  body,  must  have  rest,  and 
the  more  regularly  it  has  it,  according  to  the  divine 
appointment,  other  things  being  equal,  the  more  per- 
fect will  be  the  health,  and  the  greater  the  capability 
of  judicious,  well-balanced,  long-continued,  and  effec- 
tive efforts. 

Clergymen,  whose  official  duties^  require  vigorous 
and  toilsome  efforts  on  the  Sabbath,  must  have  some 

155 


40 

other  day  for  rest,  or  their  premature  loss  of  voice,  of 
health,  or  of  life,  will  testify  to  them  and  to  others  the 
reahty  and  hiirtfulness  of  their  transgressions.  Dis- 
tinguished scholars,  jurists,  and  statesmen,  have  often 
fallen  victims  to  the  transgression  of  this  law.  Stu- 
dents, literary  and  professional  men,  who  have  tho- 
roughly tried  both  ways,  have  all  found  that  they 
could  accomplish  more  mental  labour,  and  in  a  better 
manner,  by  abstaining  from  their  ordinary  pursuits  on 
the  Sabbath,  than  by  employing  the  whole  week  in 
one  continuous  course  of  efforts. 

But  the  great  evil  of  transgressing  the  law  of  the 
Sabbath  is  on  the  heart.  Man  is  a  moral,  as  well 
as  an  intellectual  being.  His  excellence,  his  useful- 
ness, and  his  happiness,  depend  chiefly  on  his  char- 
acter. To  the  right  formation  and  proper  culture 
of  this,  the  Sabbath  is  essential.  Without  it,  all  other 
means  will,  to  a  great  extent,  fail.  You  may  send  out 
Bibles  as  on  the  wings  of  the  wind,  scatter  religious 
tracts  like  the  leaves  of  the  forest,  and  even  preach 
the  gospel,  not  only  in  the  house  of  God,  but  at  the 
corner  of  every  street, — if  men  will  not  stop  their 
worldly  business,  traveUing,  and  amusements,  and  at- 
tend to  the  voice  which  speaks  to  them  from  heaven, 
the  cares  of  the  world,  the  deceitfulness  of  riches,  and 
the  pride  of  Hfe,  will  choke  all  these  means,  and  ren- 
der them  unfruitful.  Such  men  do  not  avail  them- 
selves of  the  institution  which  God  has  appointed  to 
give  efficacy  to  moral  influence,  and  which  he  blesses 
by  his  Spirit  for  that  purpose.  On  the  other  hand, 
men  who  keep  the  Sabbath  feel  its  benign  effects. 
Even  the  external  observance  of  it,  is,  to  a  great  ex- 
tent, connected  with  external  morality;  while  its  inter- 
nal, as  well  as  external  observance  will  promote  purity 
of  heart  and  life. 

Of  twelve  hundred  and  thirty-two  convicts,  who 
had  been  committed  to  the  Auburn  State  Prison  pre- 
viously to  the  year  1838,  four  hundred  and  forty-seven 
nad  been  watermen, — either  boatmen  or  sailors, — 
men  who,  to  a  great  extent,  had  been  kept  at  work 
on  the  Sabbath,  and  thus  deprived  of  the  rest  and 
156 


41 

privileges  of  that  day.  Of  those  twelve  hundred  and 
thirty-two  convicts,  only  twenty-six  had  conscientiously 
kept  the  Sabbath. 

Of  fourteen  hundred  and  fifty,  who  had  been  com- 
mitted to  that  prison  previously  to  1839,  five  hundred 
and  sixty-three  had  been  of  the  same  class  of  men ; 
and  of  the  whole,  only  twenty-seven  had  kept  the 
Sabbath. 

Of  sixteen  hundred  and.  fifty-three,  who  had  been 
committed  to  that  prison  previously  to  1840,  six  hun- 
dred and  sixty  had  been  watermen,  and  twenty-nine 
only  had  kept  the  Sabbath.  Of  two  hundred  and  three, 
who  were  committed  in  one  year,  ninety-seven  had 
been  watermen,  and  only  two  out  of  the  whole  had " 
conscientiously  kept  the  Sabbath. 

Thus  it  appears,  from  official  documents,  that,  while 
the  watermen  were  but  a  small  proportion  of  the 
whole  population,  they  furnished  a  very  large  propor- 
tion of  the  convicts;  much  larger,  it  is  believed,  than 
they  would  have  done,  had  they  enjoyed  the  rest  and 
privileges  of  the  Christian  Sabbath.  It  appears,  also, 
that  nearly  all  the  convicts  were  Sabbath-breakers — 
men  who  disregarded  the  duties  and  neglected  the  pri- 
vileges of  that  blessed  day. 

The  watermen  had  been  kept  at  work,  in  many 
cases,  under  the  delusive  plea,  that,  should  they  be 
permitted  to  rest  on  the  Sabbath  they  would  become 
more  wicked, — an  idea,  which  facts,  under  the  means 
of  grace,  show  to  be  false. 

On  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  Canal,  on  which  are 
more  than  seven  hundred  boats,  the  experiment  has 
been  tried.  The  directors  were  told,  at  first,  that, 
should  they  not  open  the  locks  on  the  Sabbath,  the 
men  would  congregate  in  large  numbers,  and  would 
become  more  wicked  than  if  they  should  continue  to 
pursue  their  ordinary  business ;  but  the  result  is  direct- 
ly the  reverse.  Since  the  locks  have  not  been  opened, 
and  official  business  has  not  been  transacted  on  the 
Lord's  day,  the  men  have  become  more  moral,  as  well 
as  more  healthy,  and  the  interests  of  all  have  been 
manifestly  promoted  by  the  change. 

O  4*  157 


42 

Let  any  class  of  men  enjoy  the  rest  and  privileges 
of  the  Sabbath,  and  the  effects  will  prove  that  it "  was 
made  for  man,'^  by  Him  who  made  man ;  and  who, 
in  view  of  all  its  consequences,  especially  as  the  great 
means  of  giving  efficacy  to  moral  government,  with 
truth  pronounced  it  "  very  good.'^ 

On  the  other  hand,  take  away  from  man  the  influ- 
ence of  the  Sabbath  and  its  attendant  means  of  grace, 
and  you  take  away  the  safeguard  of  his  soul ;  you 
bar  up  the  highway  of  moral  influence,  and  lay  him 
open  to  the  incursions  and  conquests  of  Satan  and  his 
legions.  Thus  man  becomes  an  easy  prey,  and  is  led 
captive  by  the  adversary  at  his  will. 

Of  one  hundred  men  admitted  into  the  Massachu- 
setts State  Prison  in  one  year,  eighty-nine  had  lived 
in  habitual  violation  of  the  Sabbath,  and  neglect  of 
public  worship. 

A  gentleman  in  England  who  was  in  the  habit,  for 
more  than  twenty  years,  of  daily  visiting  convicts, 
states  that,  almost  universally,  when  brought  to  a 
sense  of  their  condition,  they  lamented  their  neglect 
of  the  Sabbath,  and  pointed  to  their  violation  of  it  as 
the  principal  cause  of  their  ruin.  That  prepared 
them  for,  and  led  them  on,  step  by  step,  to  the  com- 
mission of  other  crimes,  and  finally  to  the  commission 
of  that  which  brought  them  to  the  prison,  and  often 
to  the  gallows.  He  has  letters  almost  innumerable, 
he  says,  from  others,  proving  the  same  thing,  and  that 
they  considered  the  violation  of  the  Sabbath  the  great 
cause  of  their  ruin.  He  has  attended  three  hundred 
and  fifty  at  the  place  of  execution,  when  they  were 
put  to  death  for  their  crimes.  And  nine  out  of  ten 
who  were. brought  to  a  sense  of  their  condition,  attri- 
buted the  greater  part  of  their  departure  from  God  to 
their  neglect  of  the  Sabbath. 

Another  gentleman,  who  has  been  conversant  with 
prisoners  for  more  than  thirty  years,  states  that  he 
found,  in  all  his  experience,  both  with  regard  to  those 
who  had  been  capitally  convicted  and  those  who  had 
not,  that  they  referred  to  the  violation  of  the  Sabbath 
as  the  chief  cause  of  their  crimes ;  and  that  this  has 
158 


43 

been  confirmed  by  all  the  opportunities  he  has  had  of 
examining  prisoners.  Not  that  this  has  been  the  only 
cause  of  crime ;  but,  like  the  use  of  intoxicating  liquors, 
it  has  greatly  increased  public  and  private  immorality, 
and  been  the  means,  in  a  multitude  of  cases,  of  pre- 
mature death. 

Another  gentleman,  who  has  had  the  charge  of 
more  than  one  hundred  thousand  prisoners,  and  has 
taken  special  pains  to  ascertain  the  causes  of  their 
crimes,  says,  that  he  does  not  recollect  a  single  case 
of  capital  offence  where  the  party  had  not  been  a 
Sabbath-breaker.  And  in  many  cases  they  assured 
him  that  Sabbath-breaking  was  the  first  step  in  their 
downward  course.  Indeed,  he  says,  with  reference 
to  prisoners  of  all  classes,  ni?iefee)i  out  of  twenty  have 
neglected  the  Sabbath  and  other  ordinances  of  reli- 
gion. And  he  has  often  met  with  prisoners  about  to 
expiate  their  crimes  by  an  ignominious  death,  who 
earnestly  enforced  upon  survivors  the  necessity  of  an 
observance  of  the  Sabbath,  and  ascribed  their  own 
course  of  iniquity  to  a  non-observance  of  that  day. 

Says  the  keeper  of  one  of  the  largest  prisons,  ''Nine 
tenths  of  our  inmates  are  those  ivho  did  not  value 
the  Sabbath,  and  were  not  in  the  habit  of  attending 
public  worship.^' 

It  is  not  so  strange,  then,  if  human  nature  was  the 
same,  and  the  effect  of  Sabbath-breaking  the  same, 
under  the  Jewish  dispensation  as  it  is  now,  that  God 
should  cause  the  Sabbath-breaker,  like  the  murderer, 
to  be  put  to  death.  Sabbath-breaking  prepared  the 
way  for  murder,  and  often  led  to  it ;  and  it  would-  not 
be  possible  to  prove  that  Sabbath-breaking,  now,  is 
not  doing  even  more  injury  to  the  people  of  the  United 
States  than  murder.  Should  every  person  in  this 
country  habitually  keep  the  Sabbath,  and  attend  pub- 
lic worship,  murders  would,  to  a  great  extent,  if  not 
wholly,  cease ;  and  prisons  become  comparatively 
empty.  Sabbath-keepers  very  rarely  commit  mur- 
der, or  perpetrate  other  heinous  crimes. 

The  secretary  of  a  Prison  Discipline  Society,  who 
has  long  been  extensively  conversant  with  prisoners, 

159 


44 

was  asked  how  many  persons  he  supposed  there  are 
in  State  Prisons,  who  observed  the  Sabbath  and  habit- 
ually attended  public  worsliip  up  to  the  time  when 
they  committed  the  crime  for  which  they  were  im- 
prisoned. He  answered,  "  I  do  not  suppose  there  are 
any."  An  inquiry  into  the  facts,  it  is  believed,"  would 
show,  with  but  few  exceptions,  this  opinion  to  be 
correct.  Men  who  keep  the  Sabbath,  experience  the 
restraining,  if  not  the  renewing  and  sanctifying  grace 
of  God.  fVhile  they  keep  the  Sabbath,  God  keeps 
them.  When  they  reject  the  Sabbath,  he  rejects 
them;  and  thus  suffers  them  to  eat  the  fruit  of  their 
own  way,  and  to  be  filled  ivith  their  oivn  devices. 

A  father,  whose  son  Avas  addicted  to  riding  out  for 
pleasure  on  the  Sabbath,  was  told  that,  if  he  did  not 
stop  it,  his  son  would  be  ruined.  He  did  not  stop  it, 
but  sometimes  set  the  example  of  riding  out  for  plea- 
sure himself.  His  son  became  a  man,  was  placed  in 
a  responsible  situation,  and  entrusted  with  a  large 
amount  of  property.  Soon  he  was  a  defaulter,  and 
absconded.  In  a  different  part  of  the  country  he 
obtained  another  responsible  situation,  and  was  again 
intrusted  with  a  large  amount  of  property.  Of  that 
he  defrauded  the  owner,  and  fled  again.  He  Avas 
apprehended,  tried,  convicted,  and  sent  to  the  State 
Prison.  After  years  spent  in  solitude  and  labour,  he 
wrote  a  letter  to  his  father,  and,  after  recounting  his 
course  of  crime,  he  added,  "  That  was  the  effect  of 
breaking  the  Sabbath  when  I  was  a  boy.^^ 

Should  every  convict  who  broke  the  Sabbath  when 
a  boy,  and  whose  father  set  him  the  example,  speak 
out  from  all  the  State  Prisons  of  the  country,  they 
would  tell  a  story  which  would  cause  the  ears  of 
every  one  that  should  hear  it  to  tingle. 

A  distinguished  merchant,  long  accustomed  to  ex- 
tensive observation  and  experience,  and  who  had 
gained  an  uncommon  knowledge  of  men,  said,  "When 
I  see  one  of  my  apprentices  or  clerks  riding  out  on 
the  Sabbath,  on  Monday  I  dismiss  him.  Such  an  one 
cannot  be  trusted." 

Facts  echo  the  declaration — "  Such  an  one  cannot 
160 


45 

be  trusted."  He  is  naturally  no  worse  than  others. 
But  he  casts  off  fear,  lays  himself  open  to  the  assaults 
of  the  adversary,  and  rejects  the  means  of  divine  pro- 
tection. He  ventures  unarmed  into  the  camp  of  the 
enemy,  and  is  made  a  demonstration  to  the  world  of 
the  great  truth  that  "  he  that  trusteth  to  his  own  heart 
is  a  fool."  Not  a  man  in  Christendom,  whatever  his 
character  or  standing,  can  knowingly  and  presumptu- 
ously trample  on  the  Sabbath,  devoting  it  to  worldly 
business,  travelling,  pleasure,  or  amusement,  and  not 
debase  his  character,  increase  his  wickedness,  and  aug- 
ment the  danger  that  he  will  be  abandoned  of  God, 
and  given  up  to  final  impenitence  and  ruin. 

It  was  on  Sabbath  morning,  while  out  on  an  ex- 
cursion for  pleasure,  that  he  who  was  intrusted  with 
great  responsibilities,  and  was  thought  to  be  worthy 
of  confidence,  committed  an  act  which  was  like  the 
letting  out  of  great  waters,  which  ceased  not  to  flow, 
till,  wearing  their  channels  broader  and  deeper,  they 
overwhelmed  him  and  others  in  one  common  ruin. 
Many  a  man,  setting  at  nought  the  divine  counsel 
with  regard  to  the  Sabbath,  and  refusing,  on  that  day, 
to  hearken  to  his  instruction  or  reproof,  almost  before 
he  was  aware  of  it,  has  found  himself  abandoned  of 
God,  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  chained  and  fettered 
by  transgression,  sinking  from. depth  to  depth,  till  he 
was  suddenly  destroyed,  and  there  was  no  remedy. 

Let  every  young  man.,  especially  him  ivho  has  gone 
out  from  his  father'^s  counsels  and  his  mother^ s pray- 
ers., remember  the  Sabbath,  and  keep  it  holy;  be  found 
habitually  in  the  house  of  God,  and  under  the  sound 
of  that  gospel  which  is  able  to  make  him  wise  unto 
salvation,  through  faith  in  Christ  Jesus.  Let  him 
avoid  worldly  business  and  amusements  on  that 
day,  as  he  would  avoid  the  gate  of  hell. 

Even  where  they  do  not  lead  to  abandonment  in 
crime,  they  harden  the  heart,  pollute  the  affections, 
sear  the  conscience,  and  prevent  the  efficacy  of  all  the 
means  of  grace.  They  carry  the  soul  away  from 
God  on  the  rapid  stream  of  time,  towards  eternal  per- 
dition. Their  language  is,  "  No  God — no  heaven — 
o2  161 


46 

no  hell !  No  human  accountability  for  the  things 
done  in  the  body!  Who  is  Jehovah,  that  I  should 
serve  him?  I  know  not  Jehovah,  neither  will  I  obey 
his  voice." 

In  its  progress,  Sabbath-breaking  sometimes  seems 
to  become  a  trial  of  strength  between  the  Sabbath- 
breaker  and  his  Maker.  So  besotted  is  he,  that  he 
acts  as  if  he  thought  he  could  outwit  or  overcome  the 
Almighty,  and  gain  something  valuable  by  opposing 
his  will. 

A  man  in  the  state  of  New  York  remarked  that  he 
intended  to  cheat  the  Lord  out  of  the  next  Sabbath, 
by  going  to  a  neighbouring  town  to  visit  his  friends. 
He  could  not  afford  to  take  one  of  his  own  days,  and 
therefore  resolved  to  cheat  the  Lord  out  of  his.  On 
Saturday,  he  went  with  his  team  into  a  forest,  to  get 
some  wood.  By  the  fall  of  a  tree,  he  was  placed  in 
such  a  condition  that  he  did  not  attempt  to  carry  his 
intended  fraud  into  execution.  He  was  willing  to  stay 
at  home. 

But  another  man,  in  the  same  state,  who  had  spent 
the  Sabbath  in  getting  in  his  grain,  said  that  he  had 
fairly  cheated  the  Almighty  out  of  one  day.  He 
boasted  of  it  as  a  mark  of  his  superiority.  On  Tues- 
day, the  lightning  struck  his  barn.  He  gained  nothing 
valuable  by  working  on  the  Sabbath. 

Another  man  acted  as  if  he  thought  all  the  evil  of 
working  on  the  Sabbath  consisted  in  its  being  seen. 
He  went  out  of  sight,  behind  the  woods,  and  spent 
the  day  in  gathering  his  grain,  and  putting  it  into  a 
vacant  building  near  his  field.  But  the  lightning 
struck  the  building,  and,  with  the  grain,  it  was  burned 
to  ashes.  He  who  made  the  eye  saw  what  this  man 
did,  and  so  ordered  things,  in  his  providence,  that  he 
gained  no  real  good  by  his  transgression.  Men  are 
not  apt,  in  the  end^  to  gain  in  that  way. 

Seven  young  men,  in  a  town  in  Massachusetts, 
started  in  the  same  business  nearly  at  the  same  time. 
Six  of  them  had  some  property  or  assistance  from 
their  friends,  and  followed  their  busmess  seven  days 
in  a  week.  The  other  had  less  property  than  either 
162 


47 

of  the  six.  He  had  less  assistance  from  others,  and 
worked  in  his  business  only  six  days  in  a  week.  He 
is  now  the  only  man  who  has  property,  and  has  not 
failed  in  his  business. 

A  distinguished  merchant,  in  a  large  city,  said  to  the 
writer  of  this,  "  It  is  about  thirty  years  since  I  came 
to  this  city ;  and  every  man  through  this  whole  range, 
who  came  dov/n  to  his  store,  or  suifered  his  counting- 
room  to  be  opened  on  the  Sabbath,  has  lost  his  pro- 
perty. There  is  no  need  of  breaking  the  Sabbath, 
and  no  benefit  from  it.  We  have  not  had  a  vessel 
leave  the  harbour  on  the  Sabbath,  for  more  than 
twenty  years.  It  is  altogether  better  to  get  them  off 
on  a  week  day  than  on  the  Sabbath."  It  is  better 
even  for  this  world.  And  so  with  all  kinds  of  secular 
business.  Men  may  seem  to  gain  for  a  time  by  the 
profanation  of  the  Sabbath ;  but  it  does  not  end  well. 
Their  disappointment  even  here,  often  comes  sud- 
denly. 

The  writer  of  this,  in  a  late  journey,  passed  near 
the  houses  of  four  men,  who  started  together  for  the 
far  West.  On  Sabbath  morning,  they  discussed  the 
question  whether  it  was  right  and  best  for  them  to 
travel  on  the  Lord's  day.  The  result  was,  three  of 
them  went  onward,  and  reached  the  city  of  Buffalo 
in  time  to  take  the  steamboat  Erie,  on  her  last  voyage. 
On  that  same  Sabbath  morning,  a  company  of  travel- 
lers, in  another  place,  discussed  the  same  question 
with  regard  to  the  propriety  of  their  travelling  on  that 
day.  And  they  separated  one  from  another.  •  A  part 
went  on  their  journey,  and  a  part  stopped  and  attend- 
ed public  worship.  Those  who  went  on,  arrived  in 
time  to  take  the  same  boat.  But  they  had  not  pro- 
ceeded far,  when  it  took  fire,  and  was  soon  in  a  blaze. 
Some  were  consumed ;  others  jumped  overboard,  and 
were  drowned.  "  Never,''  said  a  man  who  went  out 
to  their  assistance, — "never  shall  I  forget  the  sound 
that  struck  upon  my  ear,  when  I  first  came  within 
hearing  of  that  boat.  They  were  hanging  on  the 
sides,  and  the  burning  cinders  were  pouring  down  on 
their  heads,  and  they  were  dropping  off,  and  dropping 

off.     0,  it  wa^  like  the  waiUng  of  despair." 

163 


48 

Those  who  stopped  and  attended  pubUc  worship 
arrived  in  safety,  took  another  boat,  and  Uve  to  testi- 
fy not  only  to  the  duty,  but  the  utility,  of  remember- 
ing the  Sabbath  day  and  keeping  it  holy.  "  My  own 
brother,'^  said  a  man  who  heard  the  above  statement, 
"  was  in  that  very  company.  He  stopped,  and  saved 
his  life.^^  How  many  other  men  may  have  saved 
their  lives,  and  how  many  may  have  instrumental] y 
saved  their  souls,  by  keeping  the  Sabbath  and  per- 
forming its  appropriate  duties,  none  but  the  I^ord  of 
the  Sabbath,  and  the  Saviour  of  souls  can  tell.  Cer- 
tain it  is  that  in  the  keeping  of  his  commands,  though 
it  should  not  exempt  men  from  sudden  aeath,  there  is 
great  reward. 

A  man  and  his  wife  were  very  desirous  of  arriving 
in  New  York  in  season  to  take  the  steamboat  Lexing- 
ton. They  were  so  anxious  that  they  travelled  a  great 
portion  of  the  Sabbath.  They  arrived  in  season,  took 
the  boat,  and  were  among  the  multitude  who,  on  that 
dismal  night,  perished  in  the  flames,  or  found  a  watery 
grave. 

A  man,  on  the  previous  Sabbath,  requested  his 
neighbour  to  go  with  him  to  New  York,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  taking  the  same  boat.  His  neighbour  refused 
because  it  was  the  Sabbath.  He  was  urged,  but 
would  not  go.  The  other  man  then  went  to  his  son, 
and  urged  him  to  go.  He  was  reluctant,  but,  being 
strongly  urged,  he  finally,  consented.  They  started 
on  their  journey.  They  reached  the  boat ;  but  it  was 
to  die  and  go  to  judgment.  They  did  not  gain  what 
they  expected  by  travelling  on  the  Sabbath.  Great 
numbers  have  often,  very  often,  when  they  expected 
to  gain  an  important  object,  been  disappointed,  sud- 
denly and  awfully  disappointed. 

That  company  of  persons  who  went  out  on  the 
Sabbath,  in  a  pleasure-boat,  expected  to  be  gainers. 
But  the  tumult  within,  before  the  tumult  without,  told 
them  that  all  was  not  right;  and  when  the  boat  upset, 
and  the  hapless  victims  sank  to  rise  no  more,  new  tes- 
timony was  added  to  that  of  thousands,  that  disobe- 
dience to  God  is  not  the  way  to  gain,  even  for  this 
world. 

164 


49 

A  distinguished  mechanic,  in  a  part  of  the  country 
where  the  Sabbath  was  disregarded,  had  been  accus- 
tomed for  a  time  to  keep  his  men  at  work  on  that  day. 
He  was  afterwards  at  work  for  a  man  who  regarded 
the  Sabbath,  and  who,  on  Saturday,  was  anxious  to 
know  what  he  intended  to  do ;  and  therefore  asked, 
"  What  do  you  expect  to  do  to-morrow  ?"  He  said, 
"  I  expect  to  stop,  and  keep  the  Sabbath.  I  used  to 
work  on  the  Sabbath,  and  often  obtained  higher  wages 
than  on  otiier  days.  But  I  so  often  lost,  during  the 
week,  more  than  all  I  could  gain  on  the  Sabbath,  that 
I  gave  it  up  years  ago.  I  have  kept  the  Sabbath 
since,  and  I  find  it  works  better.'^  It  does  work  bet- 
ter. And  all  who  make  the  experiment  will,  in  due 
time,  find  it  so. 

Menivho  work  against  the  commandment  of  God, 
work  against  the  providence  of  God;  and  that  joro- 
vidence  will  be  too  strong  for  them. 

"I  used,"  said  the  master  of  a  vessel,  "sometimes 
to  work  on  the  Sabbath ;  but  something  would  hap- 
pen, by  which  I  lost  so  much  more  than  I  gained,  by 
working  on  the  Sabbath,  that  on  one  occasion,  after 
having  been  at  work,  and  met  with  some  disaster,  I 
swore,  most  profanely,  that  J  never  would  work  again, 
or  suffer  my  men  to  work  on  that  day.  And  I  never 
have."  He  finds  it  works  better.  He  does  not  swear 
now.  He  has  induced  many  others  not  to  swear,  and 
not  to  break  the  Sabbath.  He  finds  that  in  the  keep- 
ing of  God's  commands,  there  is  great  reward.  All 
who  obey  them  will  find  the  same. 

An  old  gentleman,  in  Boston,  remarked,  "  Men  do 
not  gain  any  thing  by  working  on  the  Sabbath.  I 
can  recollect  men  who,  when  I  was  a  boy,  used  to 
load  their  vessels,  down  on  Long  Wharf,  and  keep 
their  men  at  work  from  morning  to  night  on  the  Sab- 
bath day.  But  they  have  come  to  nothing.  Their 
children  have  come  to  nothing.  Depend  upon  it,  men 
do  not  gain  any  thing,  in  the  end,  by  working  on  the 
Sabbath." 

In  another  part  of  the  country,  an  old  man  remark- 
ed, "  I  can  recollect  more  than  fifty  years ;  but  I  can- 

5  165 


50 

not  recollect  a  case  of  a  man,  in  this  town,  who  was 
accustomed  to  work  on  the  Sabbath,  who  did  not  fail 
or  lose  his  property  before  he  died.'^ 

There  are  some  cases,  however,  where  men  who 
habitually  break  the  Sabbath  do  not  fail ;  they  make 
property,  and  keep  it  till  they  die. 

A  case  of  this  sort  came  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
writer.  The  man  was  notorious  for  disregarding  the 
Sabbath,  and  prosecuting  his  worldly  business  on  that 
day.  He  increased  his  riches  till  he  thought  that  he 
had  enough,  and  began  to  make  preparation  to  retire 
and  enjoy  it.  But  before  he  was  ready  for  that,  he 
lost  his  reason,  and  died  a  maniac. 

But  all  Sabbath-breakers,  who  make  property  and 
keep  it,  do  not  lose  their  reason.  Some  continue  to 
enjoy  it  while  they  live,  and  transmit  their  property 
to  their  children.  But  it  is  less  likely  to  be  a  blessing 
to  them,  than  if  it  had  been  acquired  in  obedience  to 
the  laws  of  God.  It  does  not  wear  well,  and,  while 
it  lasts,  often  appears  to  be  under  a  curse. 

"Those  views,'^  said  a  man,  "are  all  superstition; 
the  idea  that  it  is  not  as  profitable  or  safe  to  work  on 
the  Sabbath  as  on  other  days  is  false.  I  will  prove 
that  it  is  false.^  So  he  attempted  it.  He  ploughed 
his  field  and  sowed  his  grain  on  the  Sabbath.  It  came 
up  and  grew  finely.  Often,  during  the  season,  he 
pointed  to  it,  in  proof  that  Sabbath-day  labour  is  safe 
and  profitable.  He  reaped  it  and  stacked  it  up  in  the 
field.  His  boys  took  the  gun,  and  went  out  into  the 
woods.  It  was  a  dry  time,  and  they  set  the  leaves 
on  fire.  The  wind  took  the  fire ;  it  swept  over  the 
field,  and  nought  but  the  blackness  of  ashes  marked 
the  place  where  the  grain  stood.  "  Let  not  him  that 
putteth  on  the  harness  boast  himself,  as  he  that  put- 
teth  it  off.^'  He  could  not  prove,  though  he  tried  long 
and  hard,  that  it  is  safe  or  profitable  to  work  on  the 
Sabbath. 

But  another  man  thought  he  had  succeeded  better. 

He  even  boasted,  that  he  had  found,  by  experiment, 

that  it  was  more  profitable  to  work  on  the  Sabbath 

than  to  rest  and  attend  public  worship.     The  Sabbath 

1G6 


51 

on  which  he  had  finished  the  gathering  in  of  his  crops, 
he  told  his  neighbours  who  had  attended  public  wor- 
ship, how  much  wiser  he  had  been  than  others.  lie 
had  worked  on  the  Sabbath  all  the  year,  and  had  thus 
gained  more  than  fifty  days,  which  his  neighbours 
had  lost  by  their  superstition.  But  that  very  day  the 
lightning  struck  his  barn,  and  his  Sabbath-day  gains 
and  his  week-day  gains  were  burnt  together.  His 
neighbours  were  not  convinced  that  it  was  profitable 
or  safe  to  work  on  the  Sabbath.  It  was  not  in  his 
power  to  convince  them.  They  were  more  disposed 
than  ever  to  confine  their  secular  business  to  the  six 
days  which  were  made  and  given  to  men,  and  to 
which  alone  they  have  a  right  for  that  purpose. 

Thougli  this  is  not  a  state  of  full  retribution,  yet 
Jehovah  is  "  a  God  who  judgetli  in  the  earth,^^  and 
sometimes,  even  here,  he  visits  certain  sins  with  his 
curse ;  causing  a  fearful  looking-for  of  judgment  and 
fiery  indignation,  which  are  to  come  hereafter.  The 
intemperate  man  cannot  compete  with  the  temperate, 
nor,  continuing  such,  can  he  escape  the  drunkard's 
grave.  Notorious  rebels  against  earthly  parents  will 
look  in  vain  for  those  smiles  of  Providence  which  fall 
upon  filial  virtue.  *'  The  eye  that  mocketh  at  his 
father,  and  despiseth  to  obey  his  mother,  the  ravens 
of  the  valley  shall  pick  it  out,  and  the  young  eagles 
shall  eat  it.'' 

And  he  that  contemneth  his  Father  in  heaven,  and 
openly  trampleth  on  that  institution  which  he  hath 
appointed  for  giving  efficacy  to  his  moral  government 
among  men,  and  ditfusing  the  blessings  of  his  parental 
love  over  the  great  human  famity,  will  find  that  though 
his  long-suffering  is  amazing,  while  his  sun  rises  on 
the  evil  and  the  good,  and  his  rain  descends  on  the 
just  and  the  unjust,  judgment,  in  due  time,  lingereth 
not,  and  damnation  slumbereth  not.  In  many  cases, 
before  it  comes  there  are  indications  of  violated  laws, 
by  attendant  retributions.  Every  intemperate  man  is 
an  evidence  of  this  truth. 

A  man  of  remarkable  talents  for  business,  and  good 
opportunities  for  the  acquisition  of  property,  was  eon- 

167 


52 

fident  that  he  could  succeed,  and  keep  what  he  gained, 
without  regarding  the  Sabbath,  or  obeying  the  natural 
and  moral  laws  of  God.  He  had  no  idea  of  being  con- 
fined in  his  efforts  to  six  days  in  a  week.  He  would 
take  all  the  days,  and  employ  them  as  he  pleased.  For 
a  time  he  succeeded.  Property  flowed  in  upon  him, 
and  he  grew  increasingly  confident  that  the  idea  of 
the  necessity  or  utility  of  keeping  the  Sabbath,  in 
order  to  permanent  prosperity,  was  a  delusion.  The 
last  year  his  property  was  sold  for  the  benefit  of  his 
creditors  by  the  sheriff;  and  he  now  seems  further 
than  ever  from  being  able  to  prove  that  ungodliness  is 
profitable  even  for  this  life.  It  sometimes,  for  a  sea- 
son, appears  to  superficial  observers,  to  be  so.  But 
the  end  corrects  the  mistake  ;  and  sometimes  the  retri- 
bution which  follows  convinces  the  transgressor  him- 
self that  it  comes  from  God,  and  leads  him  to  abandon 
his  violations  of  the  Sabbath. 

A  man  who  ridiculed  the  idea  that  God  makes  a 
difference  in  his  providence  between  those  who  yield 
visible  obedience  to  his  laws  and  those  who  do  not, 
had  been  engaged,  on  a  certain  Sabbath,  in  gathering 
his  crops  into  his  barn.  The  next  week,  he  had 
occasion  to  take  fire  out  into  his  field  in  order  to  burn 
some  brush.  He  left  it,  as  he  supposed,  safely,  and 
went  in  to  dinner.  The  wind  took  the  fire,  and  car- 
ried it  into  his  barn-yard,  which  was  filled  with  com- 
bustibles, and,  before  he  was  aware  of  it,  the  flames 
were  bursting  out  of  his  barn.  He  arose  in  amaze- 
ment, saw  that  all  was  lost,  and  fixing  his  eyes  on 
the  curling  flames,  stood  speechless.  Then,  raising 
his  finger,  and  pointing  to  the  rising  column  of  fire, 
he  said,  with  solemn  emphasis,  "  That  is  the  finger  of 
God." 

Do  you  say,  barns  sometimes  are  burnt  whose 
owners  do-  not  break  the  Sabbath;  buildings  are 
struck  with  lightning  while  their  owners  are  engaged 
in  public  worship ;  steamboats  take  fire,  and  good 
men  are  burnt  up  in  them;  or  their  property  takes 
wings  and  flies  away,  as  well  as  the  property  of 
notoriously  wicked  men  ?  That  is  sometimes  the  case. 
168 


53 

Calamities  in  this  world  come,  to  some  extent,  upon 
all.  But  do  they  come  as  often,  and  to  so  great  an 
extent,  upon  those  who  obey  the  natural  and  moral 
laws  of  God,  as  upon  those  who  openly  and  habitu- 
ally violate  them?  Do  the  intemperate,  the  thief,  and 
the  murderer  ordinarily  secure  and  retain  as  many 
blessings  in  this  world,  as  the  temperate,  the  honest, 
and  the  pious? 

Do  notorious  and  habitual  Sabbath-breakers,  who 
devote  the  day  to  worldly  business,  travelling,  and 
•amusement,  acquire  as  much  property,  keep  it  as  long, 
and  as  often  transmit  it,  as  a  blessing  to  their  children, 
as  those  who  conscientiously  abstain  from  those  prac- 
tices, and  regularly  attend  the  public  worship  of  God, 
on  the  Lord's  day?  Let  the  Bible  and  facts  deter- 
mine. Look  at  the  men  who,  for  the  last  forty  years, 
have  disregarded  the  Sabbath,  and  pursued  their 
course  of  business  or  amusement  seven  days  in  a 
week;  look  at  their  children  and  children's  children, 
and  compare  them,  as  a  body,  with  those  who  kept 
the  Sabbath,  and  trained  up  their  children  in  the  nur- 
ture and  admonition  of  the  Lord ;  and  let  the  convic- 
tions of  every  sober,  candid,  and  reflecting  man  deter- 
mine. Aged  men,  in  great  numbers,  after  extensive 
observation,  through  a  long  course  of  years,  have  ex- 
pressed a  strong  conviction  that  facts  echo  the  decla- 
rations, "  Six  days  shalt  thou  labour  and  do  all  thy 
work;  but  remember  the  Sabbath  day,  and  keep  it 
holy." 

Any  man  may  die  suddenly  by  fire  or  water,  light- 
ning or  disease.  It  is  not  a  part  of  the  Saviour's 
promise,  even  to  his  friends,  that  they  shall  not  die 
suddenly.  He  evidently  teaches  that  they  may,  and, 
in  view  of  it,  says,  "Watch,  therefore,  for  in  such  an 
hour  as  ye  think  not,  the  Son  of  man  cometh."  "And 
what  I  say  unto  3^ou,  I  say  unto  all.  Watch!"  No 
man,  whatever  his  character,  can  be  sure  that  he  will 
not,  the  next  hour,  be  in  eternity.  That  is  a  reason 
why  no  man  should  break  the  Sabbath,  or  in  any  way 
knowingly  disobey  God.  He  may  die  while  doing  it. 
That  is  a  reason  why  every  man  should,  at  all  times, 
P  5*  169 


54 

be  found  doing  the  will  of  his  Father  in  heaven,  in 
dependence  on  his  grace,  for  the  purpose  of  promoting 
his  glory,  and  the  good  of  men.  ^'  Blessed  is  that  ser- 
vant whom  his  Lord,  when  he  cometh,  shall  find  so 
doing.  If  he  shall  come  in  the  second  watch,  or  in  the 
third  watch,  blessed  is  that  servant."  While  "  the 
wicked  is  driven  away  in  his  wickedness,"  "  the  right- 
eous hath  hope  in  his  death."  However  suddenly, 
in  whatever  way,  he  is  removed  from  earth,  though 
to  live  was  Christ,  through  Him  that  loved  him  and 
gave  himself  for  him,  to  die  shall  be  gain. 

Let  each  one,  then,  in  every  condition,  fear  God 
and  keep  his  commandments ;  for  this  is  the  duty, 
the  right,  the  privilege,  the  wisdom,  the  safety,  the 
excellence,  and  the  blessedness  ofm,an. 


RESOLUTIONS   ADOPTED   BY   NUMEROUS    BODIES   OF"  MEN   IN  VARIOUS    PARTS 
OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

1.  Resolved,  That  as  but  six  days  in  a  week  have  been  made  for  secular 
business,  and  no  more  have  ever  been  given  to  men  for  that  purpose,  if  they 
take  more,  it  is  without  right,  in  opposition  to  the  revealed  will  of  God,  and 
in  violation  of  his  law,  the  penalty  of  which  will  show  that  "  the  way  o£ 
transgressors  is  hard." 

2.  Rexolved,  That,  as  the  Sabbath  was  made  for  man,  and  the  observance 
of  it  is  essential  to  the  highest  social,  civil,  and  religious  interests  of  men,  it 
is  not  only  the  duty,  but  the  right  and  the  privilege  of  all  men  to  remember 
it  and  keep  it  holy. 

3.  Resolved,  That  the  loading  and  unloading  of  vessels,  the  sailing  of  ves- 
sels from  the  harbour,  the  running  of  stage-coaches,  rail-cars,  and  canal- 
boats,  and  the  travelling  in  them,  the  visiting  of  post-offices,  reading-rooms, 
and  other  places  for  secular  reading,  business,  or  amusement,  are  not  only 
unnecessary,  but  are  violations  of  the  law  of  God,  and  ought  to  be  aban- 
doned throughout  the  community. 

4.  Resolved,  That  it  be  recommended  to  all  families  to  supply  themselves 
with  some  good  Sabbath  Manual,  that  the  rising  generation  may  all  under- 
stand the  reasons  for  the  universal  and  perpetual  observance  of  the  Chris- 
tian Sabbath. 

5.  Resolved,  That  all  persons  who  are  acquainted  with /ac<s  which  illus- 
trate the  duty  and  utility  of  observing  the  Sabbath,  and  the  evils  of  viola- 
ting it,  are  requested  to  cause  them  to  be  published  and  circulated  as  exten- 
sively as  possible,  that  the  voice  of  Cod  in  his  providence,  as  well  as  in  his 
word,  with  regard  to  this  subject,  may  be  heard  by  the  people. 

6.  Resolved,  That  such  is  the  fundamental  importance  of  the  Christian 
Sabbath,  and  such  its  influence  upon  all  the  great  interests  of  men,  that  its 
due  observance  ought  to  receive  the  earnest  attention,  the  fervent  prayers, 
and  the  hearty,  active,  and  persevering  co-operation  of  all  friends  of  God 
and  man  throughout  the  world. 

THE  END. 

170 


:A 


RELATIVE    INFLUENCE 


OP 


PRESBYTERY  AND  PRELACY 


ON 


CIVIL  AND  ECCLESIASTICAL  LIBERTY. 


BY  THE  REV.  T.  V.  MOORE, 

OF  CARLISLE,  PENNSYLVANLA- 


Stand  fast  therefore  in  the  liberty  wherewith  Christ 

HATH  MADE  US  FREE Galatians  v.  1. 


PHILADELPHIA : 
PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION. 


171 


RELATIVE    INFLUENCE 

OP 

PRESBYTERY  AND  PRELACY 

ON 

CIVIL  AND  ECCLESIASTICAL  LIBERTY. 


Stand  fast  therefore  in  the  liberty,  tcherewith  Christ  hath, 
made  us  free. — Galatians  v.  1. 

There  is  no  slavery  more  abject  and  absolute  than  that  of 
sin.  It  begins  with  the  first  stirrings  of  moral  life,  and 
extends  to  every  faculty  of  moral  action.  It  imposes 
habits  the  most  rigid  and  unbending,  exacts  indulgences 
the  most  foul  and  degrading,  and  requires  sacrifices  the 
most  costly  and  ruinous,  without  intermitting  for  a  single 
instant  the  despotism  of  its  sway.  The  miserable  victim 
of  this  thrall,  if  disposed  for  a  time  to  assert  his  indepen- 
dence, is  driven  with  the  lash  of  consuming  appetites,  inex- 
orable habits,  or  groundless  fears,  to  his  former  obedience. 
And  so  pervading  is  this  enslaving  process,  that  its  wretched 
object  is  usually  unconscious  of  the  yoke.  He  hugs  the 
chains  that  bind  him,  as  the  very  badges  of  his  liberty,  and 
complacently  pities  those  whom  he  regards  as  bound,  igno- 
bly and  irksomely,  in  the  bondage  of  religious  or  virtuous 
restraint. 

From  this  internal  slavery  has  flowed  all  external  oppres- 
sion. The  slavery  of  the  heart  has  been  the  parent  of  its 
tyranny.  The  relentless  despot  who  prostrates  all  rio-ht 
and  rule  to  his  capricious  passion,  is  only  a  tyrant  because 
he  is  a  slave.  He  is  impelled  to  conquer  and  enslave  oth- 
ers, because  he  cannot  conquer  and  govern  himself.  He 
is  like  the  swollen  and  lawless  torrent  that  has  broken  down 
the  banks  which  at  once  confined  and  directed  its  energies, 
whose  very  power  of  injury  depends  on  its  weakness  of 
restraint.  The  rights  of  others  would  never  have  been  in- 
p2  173  3 


4  RELATIVE    INFLUENCE 

vaded,  had  not  the  boundaries  of  his  own  rights  first  been 
broken  away.  Hence  the  greatest  tyrant  is  always  the 
greatest  slave. 

This  is  true  at  once  of  civil  and  ecclesiastical  tyranny. 
They  have  the  same  origin  and  the  same  end.  They  differ 
only  in  their  means.  They  who  employ  the  bull,  the  ana- 
thema, or  the  ghostly  power  of  the  keys,  to  condemn  the 
innocent  and  crush  the  weak,  are  enslaved  by  the  same 
lust  of  selfishness  and  dominion  that  inflames  and  governs 
those  who  use  the  sword,  the  dungeon,  and  the  scaifold,  as 
the  instruments  of  their  oppression. 

Hence,  when  tyranny  is  to  be  checked  and  overthrown, 
or  liberty  firmly  and  permanently  established,  there  is  re- 
quired a  power  mightier  than  mere  physical  force.  The 
same  agency  that  destroys  tyranny,  cannot  establish  liber- 
ty. It  is  true,  the  indignant  spirit  of  the  oppressed,  may 
be  goaded  on  to  that  pitch  of  exasperation,  where  they  will 
rise  in  the  terrible  might  of  mocked  and  outraged  right, 
and  hurl  to  the  earth  the  arrogant  tyrant  who  has  lorded  it 
over  them ;  but  the  result  of  this  outbursting  of  pent-up 
feeling  may  be,  not  emancipation,  but  a  change  of  masters. 
The  unchained  tiger,  when  glutted  to  satiety  with  revenge 
and  blood,  may  seek  repose  and  quiet  in  the  very  cage 
from  which  he  escaped.  The  oppression  of  one  tyrant 
may  be  followed  by  the  oppression  of  another  ;  or  the  ca- 
pricious will  of  the  few,  by  the  more  capricious  will  of  the 
many ;  the  lawless  fury  of  a  despot,  by  the  still  more  law- 
less fury  of  a  mob. 

There  is  nothing  that  can  remove  tyranny  but  that  which 
will  remove  sin.  Tyranny  never  has  existed  and  never 
can  exist  without  sin  as  its  cause,  and  the  removal  of  the 
cause  is  the  only  effectual  mode  of  removing  the  effect. 
Hence  there  is  no  permanent  basis  for  liberty  in  any  depart- 
ment of  action  but  Christianity.  With  it  reigning  supreme- 
ly in  the  hearts  of  rulers  and  ruled,  a  despotism  would  be 
free,  for  every  right  of  every  man  would  be  secured  : 
without  it,  a  republic  would  be  slavery,  for  soon  all  rights 
except  those  of  might  and  cunning  would  become  insecure 
and  nugatory. 

It  is  mainly  to  Christianity,  especially  in  its  influence 
since  the  Reformation,  that  we  owe  the  existing  liberties  of 
Europe  and  America.  It  first  taught  the  rights  of  man  as 
man,  as  an  immortal,  responsible  being,  and  declaring  in 
the  golden  rule  that  each  man's  rights  and  duties  as  to 
174 


OF  PRESBYTERY  AND  PRELACY.  5 

Other  men  constitute  the  measure  of  their  rights  and  duties 
as  to  him,  it  first  founded  on  a  rock  the  great  truth  of  hu- 
man equality.  Thus  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  was  the 
first  Declaration  of  Independence,  the  first  great  magna- 
charta  of  the  rights  of  the  people.  It  at  once  founded, 
defined,  and  restrained  them.  Christianity  frowns  on  all 
oppression,  on  all  invasion  of  rights  by  the  rich,  the  great, 
or  the  powerful,  and  teaches  the  very  fontal  truth  of  popu- 
lar liberty,  that  every  man  is  every  other  man's  brother. 
Its  influence,  therefore,  when  not  restrained,  has  been  liter- 
ally to  proclaim  deliverance  to  the  captive,  the  opening  of 
the  prison  doors  to  them  that  are  bound,  and  the  breaking 
of  every  yoke. 

As  the  necessary  tendency  of  its  principles  is  thus  to- 
wards civil  and  ecclesiastical  liberty,  it  would  be  natural  to 
expect  the  same  tendency  in  the  external  forms  that  em- 
body them.  If  Christianity  as  a  system  of  truth  and  doc- 
tiine  tends  to  this  end,  Christianity  as  a  system  of  law  and 
government  must  also  do  so,  or  it  is  inconsistent,  if  not 
self-destructive.  Hence  the  tendency  of  any  particular 
system  of  ecclesiastical  polity  to  promote  civil  and  reli- 
gious liberty,  would  seem  to  be  a  fair  test  of  its  scriptural 
warrant.  If  its  influence  .is  favourable,  there  would  seem 
to  be  a  presumption  created  for  it ;  if  unfavourable,  an 
equal  presumption  against  it. 

When  the  Apostle  commands  us  in  the  text  to  "  stand 
fast  in  the  liberty  wherewith  Christ  hath  made  us  free,"  his 
language  applies  not  only  to  the  system  of  doctrine,  but 
also  to  the  system  of  order  given  us  by  Christ.  It  also 
implies  that  this  system  of  order  or  ecclesiastical  polity, 
whatever  it  is,  tends  to  make  us  free,  or  to  promote  liberty 
in  its  largest  and  best  sense.  If  then  we  can  discover  the 
system  most  favourable  to  freedom,  there  is  a  probability 
that  we  have  that  which  is  warranted  by  the  authority  of 
Christ. 

When  we  look  round  us,  we  are  met  by  four  distinct 
forms,  each  claiming  to  be  that  which  was  instituted  by 
Christ :  the  monarchy  of  Popery,  the  oligarchy  of  Prelacy, 
the  republicanism  of  Presbytery,  and  the  democracy  of 
Independency.  In  examining  the  claims  of  each,  it  is  there- 
fore a  legitimate  inquiry,  according  to.  the  implied  rule  of 
the  text,  "  what  is  their  influence  on  civil  and  religious  lib- 
erty ?"  Adopting  this  test  we  propose  to  institute  an  inves- 
tigation as  to  the  two  systems  that  lie  between  the  extremes 
1  *  175 


6  RELATIVE    INFLUENCE 

and  examine  the  relative  influence  of  Presbytery  and  Pre- 
lacy on  civil  and  ecclesiastical  liberty. 

In  prosecuting  this  inquiry  our  appeal  will  he  first,  to  the 
admitted  principles  of  the  systems,  and,  secondly,  to  the 
developments  of  those  principles  directly  or  indirectly  in 
the  history  of  the  church  and  the  world. 

I.  In  entering  upon  this  investigation  we  disclaim  any 
intention  of  representing  any  system  of  Church  govern- 
ment as  absolutely  incompatible  with  our  civil  institutions  ; 
as  cherishing  any  design  of  their  subversion ;  or  as  inca- 
pacitating those  who  live  under  it  for  being  good  and  patri- 
otic citizens.  There  are  many,  living  under  forms  of  eccle- 
siastical polity,  which  have  no  affinity  whatever  with  our 
form  of  civil  government,  who  are  not  imbued  with  their 
spirit,  or  influenced  by  their  principles  at  all ;  and  in  those 
who  are,  this  agency  is  not  strong  enough  to  counteract 
the  many  other  contrary  influences  that  are  constantly  act- 
ing upon  them.  But  still  it  may  not  be  the  less  true,  that 
such  a  tendency  exists  in  particular  forms  of  Church  go- 
vernment, as  gives  them  a  greater  or  less  affinity  to  the 
form  and  spirit  of  our  civil  institutions.  We  have  to  do, 
not  with  the  adherents  of  systems,  but  with  the  systems 
themselves,  and  experience  shows  that  the  one  may  be  very 
inadequate  and  unfair  representatives  of  the  other. 

Without  intending  then  to  stigmatize  those  who  differ 
from  us,  as  enemies  to  liberty  and  advocates  of  tyranny, 
or  even  to  make  an  unnecessary  attack  upon  any  other 
system,  we  simply  wish  to  prosecute  a  question,  which  we 
have  not  been  the  first  to  raise  and  pursue,  as  to  the  legiti- 
mate tendencies  of  these  two  systems.  Presbytery  has 
been  charged  with  tending  to  anarchy,  schism,  the  tyranny 
of  the  many,  and  the  prostration  of  ecclesiastical  freedom, 
if  not  with  actual  designs  on  civil  liberty  ;  *  and  we  wish 
to  investigate  these  charges.  And  regarding,  as  we  do, 
liberty  to  be  one  of  the  great  blessings  that  God  has  in  re- 
serve for  the  human  race,  and  the  Christian  Church  as  one 
great  means  of  its  bestowal  ;  we  wish  to  rear  an  argument 
in  favour  of  that  system  which  is  most  in  harmony  with 

*  See  a  low  and  scurrilous  pamphlet,  entitled  "  The  Warning  of  Thomas 
Jefferson,  or  a  brief  exposition  of  the  dangers  to  be  apprehended  to  our 
civil  and  rehgious  hberties  from  Presbyterianism.  Philadelphia,  1844." 
We  would  term  this  production  diabolical,  did  we  not  believe  that  this 
would  be  ranking  its  intellectual  and  literary  character  much  too  high.  It 
has  nothing  Satanic  except  its  malignity.  Even  its  falsehoods  are  too 
clumsy  for  the  father  of  lies. 
176 


OP  PRESBYTERY  AND  PRELACY.  7 

this  great  design,  and  which  tending  most  powerfully  to  its 
completion,  would  seem  the  most  likely  to  be  adopted  by 
God  for  that  purpose. 

In  endeavouring  to  ascertain  the  influence  of  any  form 
of  church  order  on  civil  and  ecclesiastical  liberty,  the  most 
suitable  method  of  obtaining  a  satisfactory  result,  will  pro- 
bably be,  to  state  some  of  these  general  principles  that  are 
admitted  to  lie  at  the  foundation  of  all  legitimate  freedom, 
and  inquire  to  what  extent  they  are  recognized  and  em- 
braced by  that  system  as  it  is  most  generally  received. 
That  form  of  church  government  which  embraces  most 
extensively  and  most  completely  as  to  the  ecclesiastical 
rights  of  its  subjects,  these  cardinal  principles  of  liberty, 
must  be  regarded,  at  least  as  to  its  theory,  the  most  decid- 
edly favourable  in  its  influence  on  civil  and  ecclesiastical 
liberty. 

1.  The  fundamental  doctrine  of  human  liberty  is,  that 
the  people  are  the  great  depositary  of  power,  for  whose 
benefit  that  power  is  to  be  exercised,  in  a  prescribed  and 
limited  mode,  by  oflicers  appointed  and  delegated  for  that 
purpose,  by  their  consent. 

This  great  truth,  in  opposition  to  all  assumptions  of  le- 
gitimacy, and  divine  right  to  rule  independent  of  the  con- 
sent of  the  ruled,  is  that  which  men  have  been  working  out 
in  tears,  and  blood,  and  fire,  in  every  revolution  and  strug- 
gle against  tyranny ;  which  lies  at  the  foundation  of  all 
free  institutions ;  and  which  is  pushing  its  growing  roots 
silently  and  steadily  under  every  hoary  retreat  of  oppres- 
sion throughout  the  world;  The  system  in  which  this  is 
most  fully  developed,  and  at  the  same  time  most  carefully 
guarded,  will  be  most  favourable  in  its  influence  on  civil 
and  ecclesiastical  liberty.  AVhat  is  the  recognition  of  this 
principle  made  by  Presbytery  ? 

The  system  of  theology  with  which  it  is  usually  found 
connected,  lays  down  the  broadest  basis  for  human  equality. 
Placing  the  whole  race  on  the  same  platform  of  absolute 
demerit;  recognizing  no  distinction  between  the  meanest 
slave  and  the  mightiest  monarch,  except  that  which  was 
made  in  the  distant  counsels  of  eternity  by  mysterious  and 
sovereign  grace  ;  and  admitting  no  patent  of  peculiar  privi- 
leges, except  that  which  is  stamped  with  the  broad  seal  of 
Heaven,  whose  flaming  motto  is,  "  the  Lord  knoweth  them 
that  are  his ;"  it  at  once  overlooks  and  overshadows  all 
temporary  and  factitious  distinctions  in  society.    It  breathes 

177 


8  RELATIVE    INFLUENCE 

into  the  humblest  and  obscurest  man  the  grandeur  of  an 
eternal  destiny  from  the  past,  which  taking  its  salient  point 
from  the  present,  shall  only  fully  unfold  its  magnificent 
heritage  in  the  eternal  destinies  of  the  future ;  and  showing 
him  by  this  grand  and  mighty  induction  from  two  eterni- 
ties, his  dignity  as  a  man,  as  an  immortal,  predestinated 
being,  the  pedigree  of  whose  illustrious  birthright  is  more 
ancient  and  imperial  than  that  of  kings ;  its  influence  on 
the  common  mind  and  heart  is  such  as  to  warrant  the  lan- 
guage of  an  eloquent  historian,*  "  Calvinism  is  gradual 
republicanism." 

But  passing  by  its  natural,  ajffiliated  system  of  doctrine, 
which  is  not  its  invariable  attendant,  or  entirely  peculiar  to 
it,  this  great  truth  is  embodied  and  recognized  by  Presby- 
tery in  a  variety  of  forms. 

It  is  a  fundamental  principle  of  this  system,  that  ecclesi- 
astical power  is  vested  in  the  people.  Whilst  it  does  not 
maintain  that  the.oflicial  authority  of  church  officers  is  con- 
ferred by  the  brotherhood,  it  steadfastly  contends  that  the 
right  to  exercise  that  authority  over  any  particular  people 
must  be  conferred  by  that  people,  or  it  is  an  usurpation. 
This  great  principle  of  non-intrusion,  and  the  right  of  the 
people  to  elect  their  spiritual  teachers  and  rulers,  is  one 
which  Presbytery  has  again  and  again  purchased  with  her 
treasure  and  sealed  with  her  blood. 

If  we  trace  the  order  of  her  ecclesiastical  procedure,  we 
find  the  power  and  rights  of  the  people  recognized  at  every 
step.  A  church  is  organized,  but  it  must  be  done  by  the 
voluntary  consent  of  the  people  composing  it.  This  church 
must  have  a  government,  but  the  very  first  element  of  that 
government  is  a  bench  of  ruling  elders,  who  are  "  the  re- 
presentatives of  the  people,"  selected  from  among  them- 
selves, by  their  own  choice,  acquainted  with  their  wants, 
partaking  of  their  sympathies,  guardians  of  their  interests, 
and  always  able  by  their  numerical  force  to  control  the 
clerical  element  of  jurisdiction  in  the  event  of  any  collision 
of  interests.  The  pastor  of  the  church  must  be  one,  taken 
originally  from  the  people ;  educated  usually  at  institutions 
supported  by  their  contributions ;  licensed  by  a  body  in 
which  their  representatives  usually  may  have  the  numeri- 
cal control ;  sent  forth  among  them  to  ascertain  their  sanc- 
tions and  approval,  which  is  a  necessary  element  in  his 

*  Bancroft. 
178 


OF    PRESBYTERY    AND    PRELACY.  9 

call ;  ordained  by  their  consent ;  and  never  installed  as  a 
pastor  except  at  their  request.  His  support  depends  on 
their  voluntary  contributions ;  is  determined  by  their  vote  ; 
collected  and  disbursed  by  their  agents.  All  pecuniary 
obligations  are  under  the  control  of  trustees  and  deacons, 
elected  by  the  people,  and  invested  with  no  spiritual  func- 
tion or  jurisdiction.  No  law  can  be  passed  by  any  assem- 
bly in  which  the  people  have  not  the  right  to  sit  by  their 
representatives.  No  man  can  be  arraigned  or  tried  before 
any  court,  a  part  of  which  is  not  composed  of  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  people.  If  aggrieved  by  the  decision  of 
the  session,  he  has  the  right  of  appeal,  first  to  the  Presby- 
tery, next  to  the  Synod,  and  finally  to  the  General  Assem- 
bly ,•  in  all  which,  owing  to  the  Moderator  being  a  minister, 
the  representatives  of  the  people  usually  may  constitute  the 
majority.  In  this  constant  element  of  the  eldership,  which 
has  always  been  the  characteristic,  and  the  glory  of 
Presbytery,  there  is  a  continual,  steady  and  adequate  bar- 
rier against  all  clerical  encroachment  and  usurpation.  And 
it  is  on  this  clement,  as  the  corner-stone  of  the  system,  that 
we  ground  the  unanswerable  argument  in  favour  of  its  pop- 
ular character  and  tendency.  Presbytery  alone  has  admit- 
ted the  representatives  of  the  people  to  plenary  authority  in 
all  acts  of  government,  not  as  an  offshoot  of  her  polity, 
but  as  its  essential  peculiarity.  And  she  regards  them, 
not  as  mere  delegated  laymen  or  special  commissioners, 
Avho  may  be  excluded  next  year  by  the  vote  that  admits 
them  this ;  but  as  ofiicers,  solemnly  ordained  and  set  apart 
to  a  function,  as  sacred  as  that  of  the  ministry. 

We  turn  now  to  examine  the  principles  of  Prelacy  as  to 
this  cardinal  point.  And  in  order  that  we  may  do  it  every 
justice,  we  select  for  comparison  that  form  of  the  system 
found  in  the  United  States,  confessedly  the  most  popular 
and  liberal  in  the  world  ;  and  shall  rely  for  our  information 
mainly  on  her  constitution  and  canons,  as  edited  by  Dr. 
Hawks. 

The  first  thing  that  meets  us  is  the  fundamental  doctrine 
for  ^yhich  it  has  always  contended,  that  Jesus  Christ  has 
vested  the  governing  power  of  the  Church,  not  in  the  peo- 
ple, nor  in  the  order  of  presbyters,  but  in  the  order  of 
bishops  or  prelates,  who  are  the  successors  of  the  apostles 
and  the  sole  depositaries  and  fountains  of  authority.*     It  is 

*  Jeremy  Taylor.  Episcopacy  asserted,  sec.  9.  Works,  vol.  ii.  p.  157. 
Hooker  Eccl.  Polity,  Book  vii.  sec.  iii.  v.  pp.  376,  377.  (fol.) 

179 


10  RELATIVE    INFLUENCE 

true  tlie  laity  have  been  admitted  to  some  share  in  the 
government  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of  the 
United  States,  but  this  is  confessedly  an  innovation  and  an 
anomaly;  which  was  strongly  objected  to  by  the  English 
Prelates  when  solicited  to  ordain  American  Bishops ;  de- 
nounced as  Presbyterian  in  its  character;  and  declared  by 
Bishop  Seabury  to  be  "  incongruous  to  every  idea  of  Epis- 
copal government."  *  Such  is  still  the  opinion  of  some 
who  are  most  deeply  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  prelacy .f 
But  even  with  this  partial  infusion  of  a  popular  element, 
admitted  as  a  matter  of  concession  and  courtesy,  and  not, 
as  in  Presbytery  by  an  original  and  scriptural  right,  there 
is  still  much  that  is  of  a  contrary  character,  and  at  vari- 
ance with  the  maxims  of  republicanism. 

All  power  is  originally  vested  in  the  order  of  bishops  or 
prelates.  They  are  elected  not  by  the  people,  or  indeed  by 
their  representatives,  (for  even  if  the  diocesan  Convention 
were  properly  composed  of  representatives  of  the  people, 
their  selection  is  after  all  a  mere  nomination,)  but  by  the 
bishops  themselves,  who  can  admit  or  reject  any  applicant 
they  choose.:}:  They  can  also  prevent  the  resignation  of 
any  of  their  number,  even  if  desired  by  himself  and  the 
unanimous  voice  of  the  clergy  and  laity  of  his  diocese. § 
They  constitute  a  close  corporation  of  governors  ;  having 
not  only  the  power  to  fill  their  own  vacancies,  but  actually 
to  prevent  the  occurrence  of  vacancies,  except  by  death  ; 
claiming  a  divine  right  to  rule  as  absolutely  as  the  apos- 
tles :  constituting  thus  a  kind  of  hereditary,  self-perpetuat- 
ing succession  of  sovereigns,  as  completely  beyond  the 
control  of  the  people,  if  they  choose  to  thwart  it,  as  the 
most  absolute,  hereditary  monarchs  on  the  earth.  The 
general  principle  is  embodied  in  this  fundamental  tenet  of 
prelacy,  that  in  ecclesiastical  matters  at  least,  tJie  people  are 
not  able  to  govern  themselves  but  need  rulers,  whose  ap- 

*  Constitution  and  Canons,  p.  18.  See  also  Bishop  White's  Memeirs,  p. 
124. 

t  Smyth  on  Apostolical  Succession,  Lect.  13. 

I  Constitution  and  Canons,  p.  93. 

§  Ibid.  p.  300.  "  So  far  as  our  research  has  extended,  this  law  is  without 
a  precedent  in  the  history  of  the  Christian  Church,"  p.  303.  "  No  man  can 
come  into  the  Episcopal  College  without  their  consent,  and  this  is  right, 
but  according  to  this  Canon,  no  man  may  go  out  of  their  body  without 
their  approbation ;  we  see  no  reason  ibr  this.  The  system  makes  them,  in 
effect,  more  than  an  ordinarily  close  corporation,"  p.  305. 

180 


OF  PRESBYTERY  AND  PRELACY.  11 

pointment,  authority,  functions,  and  continuance  in  office 
shall  be  almost  absolutely  beyond  their  control.* 

In  order  to  show  how  completely  all  power  is  taken  from 
the  hands  of  the  people,"]"  let  us  trace  the  course  of  pro- 
cedure as  to  a  particular  church.  The  very  first  step  of 
erecting  a  church  edifice  cannot  regularly  and  canonically 
be  taken  until  license  is  obtained  if  not  from  the  bishop  at 
least  from  the  neighbouring  clergy  4  When  a  church  has 
been  formally  instituted  and  received  by  the  bishop,  and  a 
pastor  is  to  be  selected,  he  is  chosen  not  by  the  people,  but 
by  the  vestry,§  subject  to  the  decision  of  the  bishop,  who 
may  "  confirm  or  reject  the  appointment."  ||  The  candi- 
date for  the  ministry  can  be  ordained  only  by  the  bishop, 
who  may  refuse  him  orders  if  he  think  him  contumacious 
tow^ard  him  in  any  matter,ir  and  as  a  general  fact  prevent 
him  from  obtaining  orders  from  any  one  else,**  or  remov- 
ing to  any  other  field  of  labour  in  the  church  by  withhold- 
ing his  permission  ;'|'f  who  possesses  the  control  of  his 
movements,  and  the  sole  power  of  dispensing  with  a  por- 
tion of  the  qualifications  required  for  ordination  ; :}::{:  and 
can  ordain  and  institute  a  pastor  in  a  particular  church 
without  reference  to  the  wishes  of  the  people,  or  even  of 
the  inferior  clergy. §§  A  recent  case  has  shown,  that  even 
the  proven  fact  of  Romish  error,  and  the  solemn  protest  of 
grave  and  learned  presbyters  could  not  arrest  an  ordina- 
tion. When  a  pastor  is  once  settled,  he  possesses  the  sole 
power  of  government  in  the  church,  reprimanding,  suspend- 
ing and  virtually  excommunicating  whom  and  for  what  he 
thinks  proper.llll  He  possesses  exclusive  control  over  the 
church  edifice. liH  No  brother  clergyman  can  preach  within 
the  limits  of  his  parish  without  asking  and  obtaining  con- 
sent.*** The  very  name  is  significant.  He. is  not  called 
pastor,  or  minister,  in  the  unambitious  language  of  Pres- 

*  See  this  broadly  and  arrogantly  maintained,  by  Jeremy  Taylor.  Epis- 
copacy Asserted,  sec.  xxxv.  Works,  vol.  ii.  p.  205,  sec.  xl.  xli.  pp.  222,  224 ; 
also  Hooker  Eccl.  Pol.  Book  v.  p.  360,  (fol.)  Book  vi.  p.  374. 

t  It  is  incidentally  admitted  by  Dr.  Hawks,  that  church  membership 
confers  no  other  right  on  any  individual  than  admission  to  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per. "  Cut  the  offender  olf  from  the  communion  under  the  rubric,  and  of 
xohat  other  privilege  of  church  membersliip  can  you  in  this  country  deprive 
him?"  p.  359.  Presbytery  confers  other  privileges  than  this  on  her  church 
members. 

X  Constitution  and  Canons,  pp.  294,  295. 

^  Ibid.  p.  285.    The  vestry  determine  the  salary  of  the  clergyman,  p.  53 

II  Ibid.  p.  279.  IF  Ibid.  p.  164.  **  Ibid.  p.  166. 

tt  Ibid.  pp.  209,  147.         It  Ibid.  p.  146.  $$  Ibid.  p.  279. 

nil  Ibid.  p.  262.  HIT  Ibid.  p.  286.  *♦*  Ibid.  p.  293. 

Q  181 


12  RELATIVE    INFLUENCE 

bytery  ;  but  rector  or  ruler,  implying  his  sole  and  exclu- 
sive right  to  rule  the  people  under  him. 

But  above  all  this,  and  in  defiance  of  both  rector  and 
people,  the  bishop  can  come  in  and  fill  the  church  with 
whomsoever  he  pleases,  in  virtue  of  his  power  to  confirm 
at  discretion  any  one  however  impenitent  and  heretical,  if 
he  deems  him  a  fit  subject ;  *  or  restore  to  the  communion 
of  the  church  any  one  already  suspended,  without  com- 
plaint, and  without  inquiry,  contrary  to  the  wishes  of  both 
rector  and  people,  if  he  deems  the  reason  of  suspension 
insufficient.!  The  people,  then,  are  at  the  mercy,  first  of 
the  rector,  and  next  of  the  bishop,  whose  mere  consecra- 
tion, history  and  observation  alike  assure,  is  no  sufficient 
guaranty  of  either  their  piety,  their  prudence,  or  their 
soundness  in  the  faith. 

If  a  dissolution  of  the  pastoral  relation  is  desired,  the 
bishop,  with  the  advice  of  the  clergy,  without  a  single  vote 
of  the  laity,  or  any  absolute  right  on  their  part  to  interfere, 
may  determine  the  matter,  stipulate  the  terms  of  separa- 
tion, and  even  require  the  congregation  to  pay  the  clergy- 
man a  certain  sum  of  money  as  compensation  for  his  loss 
in  removing  from  them.ij:  Here  then  the  people  are  ex- 
cluded from  one  of  the  most  important  acts  of  ecclesiastical 
procedure. §  The  bishop  alone  can  displace  a  minister,l| 
suspend  or  depose  him  from  the  ministry,  and  when  once 
degraded  from  the  ministry  he  can  never  be  restored ;  how- 
ever insufficient  the  grounds  may  be  discovered  to  have 
been,  or  however  penitent  and  consistent  he  may  after- 

*  Constitution  and  Canons,  p.  258.  Dr.  Hawks  doubts  this,  but  there  is 
no  law  to  prevent  it  if  the  bishop  choose  to  do  so. 

t  Ibid.  p.  363.  "  Such  a  restoration  by  the  bishop  of  a  repelled  commu- 
nicant is  a  virtual  trial  and  condemnation  of  the  clergyman  who  repelled 
him."  Power  always  passes  slowly  and  silently,  and  without  much  notice, 
from  the  hands  of  the  many  to  the  few,  and  all  history  shows,  that  eccle- 
siastical domination  grows  up  by  little  and  little.  "  Give  to  the  bishops  tlio 
right,  without  a  formal  trial  of  their  peers,  virtually  to  condemn  presbyters 
in  one  case ;  and  it  will  surely  come  to  pass,  that  the  day  will  be  seen,  when 
precedent  will  be  cited  for  it  in  all  cases."  "  We  are  free  to  say  we  wish 
this  clause  on  which  we  comment  were  out  of  the  law,  for  it  is  a  reflection 
on  the  clergy,  and  a  dangerous  innovation  on  principle.  We  look  in  vain 
through  the  body  of  our  canon  law  for  any  thing  like  reciprocity  in  this 
matter."    pp.  364,  365. 

X  Ibid.  p.  317. 

^  "  This  is  an  instance  remarkable  in  the  legislation  of  our  church,  for 
one  feature :  it  allows  to  the  clergy,  as  a  class,  the  privilege  of  determining 
as  against  the  laity,  when  a  brother  clergyman  has  been  unjustly  or  harsh- 
ly dealt  with  by  his  congregation."    Ibid.  p.  318. 

II  Ibid.  p.  346. 
182 


OP    PRESBYTERY    AND    PRELACY.  13 

wards  be,  the  step  can  never  be  retraced ;  *  the  victim  of 
frailty,  prejudice,  injustice,  or  conspiracy  has  no  redress  in 
the  mode  in  which  redress  can  alone  be  properly  made. 
The  bishop  possesses  a  most  magisterial  control  of  the  mo- 
tions of  the  clergy ;  may  prohibit  the  clergyman  from 
another  diocese,  (and  even  a  bishop  as  a  late  fact  proves,) 
from  preaching  within  his  diocesan  limits,  and  if  he  refuses 
to  obey,  or  violates,  even  ignorantly,  any  canon  of  the  dio- 
cese during  his  sojourn,  may  suspend  him  from  the  minis- 
try, and  his  own  bishop  cannot  restore  him  without  the 
consent  of  him  who  suspended  him,  or  an  acquittal  in  a 
formal,  regular  trial. f 

When  we  look  at  these  arrangements  and  principles  of 
prelacy,  drawn  from  her  own  canons,  by  which  the  people 
are  virtually  declared  incapable  of  governing  themselves, 
and  a  most  fearful  and  tremendous  authority  is  lodged  in 
the  hands  of  one  man,  who  is  not  in  any  sense  the  repre- 
sentative of  the  people,  but  a  representative  of  the  twelve 
apostles  or  the  Jewish  high-priests,:}:  as  they  allege,  we  will 
surely  be  at  no  loss  to  decide  upon  the  relative  influence  of 
Presbytery  and  Prelacy  on  the  practical  application  of  the 
great  doctrine  of  the  people's  right  and  power  to  govern 
themselves.  The  object  of  one  is  to  take  care  of  the  rights 
of  the  bishop,  the  object  of  the  other  to  take  care  of  the 
rights  of  the  people. 

2.  Another  cardinal  and  bulwark  principle  of  liberty,  is 

*  Constitution  and  Canons,  p.  350. 

t  Ibid.  p.  355.  "  We  must  here  clearly  understand  what  the  offence  is, 
for  which  the  visiting  clergyman,  who  has  broken  a  particular  canon  of 
another  diocese  is  tried:  he  is  not  called  to  account  so  much  for  the  ill 
consequences  which  may  result  from  the  breaking  of  that  canon,  as  he  is 
for  violating  the  great  principle  of  a  due  respect  for  the  lawful  ecclesiastical 
authority  of  the  region  in  which  he  is  sojourning.  Insubordination  is  his 
crime,  rather  than  the  violation  of  a  particular  measure  founded  on  a  par- 
ticular policy."    p.  356. 

t  The  argument  from  the  Mosaic  Institutions,  urged  by  Prelatists,  in 
view  of  the  present  point  of  discussion,  is  decidedly  favourable  to  Presby- 
tery. The  Jewish  Theocracy,  so  far  as  it  was  administered  by  men,  was  a 
confederated  republic ;  a  general  government  composed  of  separate  inde- 
pendent tribes.  (See  this  evinced  by  Michaelis,  Commentaries  on  the  Law 
of  Moses,  Book  i.  chap.  vi.  art.  46.)  The  people  exercised  even  more 
power  under  its  arrangements  than  they  do  in  the  United  States  govern- 
ment, which  it  closely  resembled.  In  this  recognition  of  the  authority  of 
the  people,  in  the  popular  and  representative  character  of  its  courts,  and  in 
tlie  regular  appellate  jurisdiction  of  successive  assemblies,  and  indeed  in  its 
entire  mode  of  procedure,  so  far  as  it  was  a  permanent  system  of  church 
government  at  all,  the  Theocracy  bore  a  much  closer  resemblance  to  Pres- 
bytery than  to  Prelacy. 

2  183 


14  RELATIVE    INFLUENCE 

the  existence  of  written  laws  and  constitutions,  defining 
specifically  the  powers  of  the  ruler  and  the  rights  of  the 
ruled,  constituting  the  ultimate  arbiter  to  which  the  weakest 
can  appeal  for  protection  as  fearlessly  as  the  strongest ;  in 
other  words,  the  government  of  laws  and  not  of  men ;  of 
principles  and  not  of  prerogative ;  of  deliberate,  recorded 
will,  and  not  of  undeUberate  spontaneous  opinion. 

This  has  always  been  one  of  the  characteristic  principles 
of  Presbytery.  The  pertinacity  with  which  she  has  con- 
tended for  written  creeds  and  symbols,  defining  specifically 
not  only  the  articles  of  religious  faith,  but  the  conditions  of 
ecclesiastical  organization,  has  been  made  the  ground  of 
ridicule  and  denunciation.  She  has  been  charged  with  a 
finical  fastidiousness  in  exacting  conformity  to  her  creeds, 
from  those  who  entered  her  communion,  that  was  ridicu- 
lous and  vexatious;  and  with  a  bigoted  and  illiberal  strict- 
ness in  condemning  departures  from  them,  among  those 
who  wished  to  retain  her  communion,  that  was  narrow- 
minded  and  tyrannical. 

The  fact  thus  charged  upon  her,  is  one  of  her  most  glo- 
rious characteristics.  Whilst  she  compels  no  man  to  enter 
her  pale,  she  defines  the  terms  of  entrance,  so  that  no  one 
need  be  deceived  before  taking  that  step,  or  deceive  others 
after  it.  And  providing  in  her  discipline  for  almost  every 
possible  contingency  that  can  affect  the  rights  or  wrongs 
of  her  members,  she  furnishes  a  fixed,  clear,  and  intelli- 
gible code,  to  which  appeal  can  be  made  for  the  punish- 
ment of  the  guilty  and  the  protection  of  the  weak.  And 
in  addition  to  this  she  declares  that  the  church  possesses 
no  authority  to  go  beyond  or  add  any  thing  to  the  Bible  in 
the  matter  of  rites  and  ceremonies  equally  with  that  of 
faith ;  that  her  authority  in  all  matters  is  not  original  or 
strictly  legislative,  but  only  ministerial  and  declarative. 
This  system  of  polity  possesses  at  least  some  claim  to  the 
characteristic  of  a  perfect  government  given  by  the  sage 
of  Priene,*  when  he  defined  it  to  be,  "  the  government  in 
which  there  is  nothing  superior  to  the  law." 

Is  this  the  case  with  Prelacy  ?  In  the  first  place  it  claims 
"  power  to  decree  rites  and  ceremonies  and  authority  in 
controversies  of  faith  ;"t  thus  opening  a  door  which  we 
know  has  afforded  entrance  to  much  tyranny  by  adding  to 

,    *  Bias,  one  of  the  seven  wise  men  of  Greece, 
t  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  p.  260.  Art.  XX. 
184 


,  OF  rHESBVTERY  AND  PRELACY.  15 

the  words  of  God,  and  enforcing  "  conformity"  to  those 
additions  by  arbitrary  penalties  and  restrictions.  But  the 
most  serious  defect  in  this  respect  is,  that  it  has  no  definite 
written  code  for  the  defining  of  offences,  the  punishment  of 
offenders,  and  the  redress  of  the  injured.*  The  Church  of 
which  it  was  said  by  Lord  Chatham,  that  it  possessed  "  a 
Popish  liturgy,  Calvinistic  articles,  and  an  iVrminian  cler- 
gy," must  surely  have  a  system  of  jurisdiction  somewhat 
lax,  either  in  theory  or  practice.  But  the  proof  of  this  fact 
will  be  given  in  the  language  of  one  of  its  most  distin- 
guished defenders,  the  commentator  on  the  Constitution  and 
Canons.  His  statements  are  in  these  words :  "  In  the 
Church  we  may  be  said  to  have  no  judicial  system.  By 
the  constitution,  the  mode  of  trying  ofTending  clergymen, 
is  to  be  regulated  in  each  State  by  its  own  rules.  Some 
dioceses  have  made  no  rules  at  all.  Uniformity  in  judicial 
proceedings  is  therefore  wanting.  But  there  is  a  greater 
evil  than  this ;  it  is  the  want  of  uniformity  of  interpreta- 
tion. Misera  est  scrvitus,  ubi  jus  est  vagimi  aut  incertum. 
Better  is  it  that  the  law  should  be  interpreted  erroneously, 
so  that  men  may  at  least  have  certainty,  than  that  it  should 
be  held  to  mean  one  thing  to-day,  and  another  to-morrow. 
The  mode  as  it  at  present  exists  operates  thus.  In  the 
diocese  of  Massachusetts,  for  instance,  before  a  court  com- 
posed according  to  the  canons  there  in  force,  some  clause 
of  the  constitution,  or  some  canon  of  the  General  Conven- 
tion, receives  a  certain  interpretation,  and  under  it,  punish- 
ment is  inflicted.  In  South  Carolina,  a  different  meaning 
is  attached  by  the  court  there  to  the  very  same  words,  and 
acquittal  follows  ;  and  thus  it  may  be  in  some  six  or  more 
dioceses.  In  vain  will  any  one  ask  whft  is  the  law?  No 
man  can  say.  The  convict  of  Massachusetts,  doubting  as 
well  he  may,  under  such  circumstances,  the  propriety  of 
his  intended  punishment,  would  fain  appeal  to  some  tribunal 
competent  to  adjust  these  conflicting  interpretations.  But 
where  is  such  a  tribunal?     Nowhere  in  the  Church  !"f 

*  "  Neither  the  General  Convention  nor  any  State  Convention,  have  ever 
provided  any  '  rules  or  process '  for  excommunication.  There  is  not  a 
clergyman  in  the  Church,  who,  if  he  were  desirous  to  excommunicate  an 
offender,  would  know  how  to  take  the  very  first  step  in  the  process."  "  We 
know  of  no  other  law,  which  practically  reaches  the  case  of  an  offending 
layman,  but  this :  and  there  are  very  few  of  the  dioceses  in  which  any  pro- 
vision IS  made  by  canon  for  investigating  or  trying  the  case  of  a  layman. 
He  must  so  offend  as  to  come  within  the  terms  of  the  rubric,  or  we  know 
not  how  he  is  to  be  disciplined."  Constitution  and  Canons,  pp.  359,  360, 
362. 

t  Constitution  and  Canons,  pp.  56,  57.  "  We  need  two  things :  first,  a 
q2  185 


16  RELATIVE    INFLUENCE 

With  such  testimony  from  an  accredited  source,  we  may- 
leave  the  question  of  comparison  as  to  this  point,  without 
further  remark. 

3.  Another  fundamental  principle  of  freedom  is,  the  ad- 
ministration of  law  with  suitable  checks  and  balances.  In 
attaining  this  end,  there  are  two  things  to  be  avoided ;  first, 
the  tyranny  of  the  few,  and  secondly,  the  tyranny  of  the 
many.  These  are  secured  by  never  giving  to  the  few  a 
power  which  is  not  under  the  ultimate  control  of  the  many  ; 
for  this  would  be  oligarchy  ;  nor  to  the  many  a  power  that 
may  be  used  on  the  few,  without  some  intervening  barrier 
to  stay  the  tide  of  sudden  and  frenzied  excitement ;  for  .this 
would  be  democracy  :  but  such  a  balance  and  checking  of 
powers,  that  justice  shall  neither  be  baffled  by  prerogative, 
nor  overwhelmed  by  passion ;  this  is  republicanism.  Hence 
we  find  in  every  department  of  our  civil  government,  two 
distinct  elements  operating  as  mutual  checks  and  correc- 
tives, the  one  purely  popular,  the  other  only  remotely  so, 
but  still  in  the  end,  within  popular  control,  when  calmly  and 
perseveringly  applied.  Analogous  to  this  we  have  in  Presby- 
tery the  two  co-ordinate  elements  of  the  ministry  and  elder- 
ship :  the  one  purely  popular,  the  other  only  remotely  so, 
yet  still  completely  within  the  control  of  the  people,  when 
any  great  and  paramount  reason  exists  for  its  exercise. 
These  two  elements  meet  in  every  form  and  act  of  govern- 
ment that  can  exist,  and  operate  as  mutual  checks  and  bal- 
ances. All  the. forms  of  process  are  arranged  with  pecu- 
liar exactness  to  prevent  the  sacrifice  of  any  right.  The 
laws  are  uniform  for  the  whole  Church,  and  must  be  adopt- 
ed by  a  majority  of  the  Presbyteries,  before  they  can  be- 
come binding.  N^  man  can  be  accused  until  certain  pre- 
liminary steps  are  taken  ;  and  when  accused,  must  have  a 
copy  of  the  specific  charges,  with  time,  place,  and  witnesses, 
that  he  may  meet  them  by  an  alibi  or  otherwise,  be  cited  at 
least  ten  days  before  the  first  meeting  of  the  court,  and  not 
tried  unless  by  consent  until  a  second  meeting,  when  he 
may  be  fully  prepared  for  his  defence.  When  any  wrong 
or  error  has  been  committed,  the  powers  of  appeal,  com- 

uniform  mode  of  proceeding  in  constituting  courts,  and  conducting  trials 
in  the  dioceses.  This,  as  the  constitution  stands,  we  cannot  have,  unless 
all  the  dioceses,  by  their  several  canons,  adopt  the  same  rules:  and  this 
is  not  to  be  expected.  The  General  Convention  cannot  legislate  on  the 
subject,  until  the  sixth  article  of  the  Constitution  is  altered.  ^Secondly,  we 
need  a  court  of  appeals,  with  power  autharitatively  and  finally,  to  settle 
the  true  interpre/ation  of  Constitution  and  Canons,  ut  sit  finis  litium" 
p.  57. 

186 


OF    PRESBYTERY    AND    PRELACY.  17 

plaint,  reference,  review  and  control,  overture  and  petition 
from  the  session  through  the  Presbytery  and  Synod  to  the 
General  Assembly,  furnish  every  earthly  probability  of  its 
detection  and  correction.  All  these  facts  taken  together, 
furnish,  perhaps,  as  perfect  a  system  of  checks  and  bal- 
ances in  government  as  the  world  ever  saw. 

But  is  it  so  with  Prelacy  ?  It  is  true  there  is  a  House  of 
Bishops  and  a  Lower  House,  but  they  correspond  not  to  a 
Senate,  and  House  of  Representatives,  but  to  a  House  of 
Lords,  and  a  House  of  Commons  ;  for  the  Prelatical  order 
is  in  no  sense,  even  remotely,  popular,  or  subjected  to  pop- 
ular control ;  but  rules  by  an  alleged  divine,  and  hereditary 
right  embodied  in  the  order  of  "  successors  to  the  apos- 
tles."* The  House  of  Bishops,  and  even  a  single  Bishop, 
if  there  be  but  one  present,  has  an  absolute  veto  on  all  the 
acts  of  the  General  Convention,  even  if  passed  by  a  unani- 
mous vote. "I  In  one  diocese,  the  bishop  alone,  one  man, 
possesses  an  absolute  veto,  even  against  a  unanimous  vote 
of  the  Convention.:}:  And  as  the  Bishops  possess  the  sole 
power  of  ordaining,  suspending  and  deposing,  it  is  plain 
that  they  can,  if  they  determine  to  do  so,  ultimately  place 
in  the  lower  house,  those  who  will  be  merely  their  crea- 
tures, or  at  least  prevent  the  admission  of  those  who  will 
not,  and  remove  such  as  refuse  to  submit  to  their  will  by 
suspension  or  deposition  for  contumacy.  The  forms  of 
process  are  so  vague  and  indeterminate  that  there  is  no 
adequate  defence  against  premeditated  injustice.  The  peo- 
ple possess  no  ultimate,  efficient,  legal  control  that  can 
operate  as  a  plenary  check  and  balance  to  the  power  of  the 
bishops,  if  they  determine  to  carry  it  into  execution. §  Events 
yet  fresh  in  the  memory  of  all,]]  furnish  a  mournful  proof 
of  the  inadequacy  of  the  checks  and  balances  that  exist  to 
control  the  exertion  of  Episcopal  power. 

*  "  The  bishops  being,  as  it  were,  the  senators,  virtute  officii."  Constitu- 
tion^nd  Canons,  p.  52.  Nothing  more  can  be  said  of  one  of  the  Lords 
Spiritual  of  the  British  House  of  Peers,  than  is  here  said  of  republican 
Bishops. 

t  Constitution  and  Canons,  p.  26. 

t  Ibid.  p.  56.  "  It  is  easy  to  see  how  the  veto  power  here  may  make  the 
convention  a  mere  body  for  registering  Episcopal  edicts."  Recent  facts 
have  shown  that  this  remark  of  Dr.  Hawks  was  remarkably  well-ground 
ed,  well-nifth  prophetic. 

§  Jeremy  Taylor,  Episcopacy  Asserted,  sec.  xxxvi.  Works,  vol.  ii.  p.  210 
quotes  with  approbation  a  declaration  of  the  Council  of  Chalcedon,  "that 
bishops  have  power  to  do  whatsoever  they  tuill,"  and  addi^f  es  2  Cor.  ii-  9, 
and  the  unbroken  testimony  of  the  Church  for  many  ages  to  its  support. 
See  also  Hooker,  Ecc.  Pol.  Book  VII. 

II  The  New  York  ordination,  and  its  attendant  circiunstances. 
2*  187 


18  RELATIVE    INFLUENCE 

4.  The  last  great  bulwark  of  freedom  tnat  we  can  men- 
tion is  free,  deliberating  assemblies,  in  which  the  people  are 
fully  and  fairly  represented,  and  in  which  the  leading  mea- 
sures of  the  government  can  be  canvassed  without  any 
authority  to  restrict  or  overawe  discussion,  deliberation  and 
determination,  to  the  extent  that  is  necessary  for  the  public 
weal. 

The  history  of  liberty  shows  clearly  that  they  have  been 
its  great  munitions.  The  free  assemblies  of  Greece  and 
Rome,  the  Wittenagemote  of  the  Saxons,  the  House  of 
Commons  in  England,  and  the  free  assemblies  of  America, 
demonstrate  to  the  careful  observer,  the  inseparable  con- 
nection between  such  assemblies  and  the  existence  of  liber- 
ty. When  properly  constituted  and  guarded,  they  have 
always  prevented  consolidation  on  the  one  hand,  and  anar- 
chy on  the  other,  as  long  as  they  continued  to  be  free,  de- 
liberating, and  representative. 

In  accordance  with  this,  we  find  it  to  be  the  fundamental 
law  of  Presbytery,  that  the  church  is  governed  by  assem- 
blies.^ These  assemblies  are  all  composed  in  part,  of  the 
direct,  ordained  representatives  of  the  people.  Each  church 
is  governed  by  a  sessional,  each  district  by  a  presbyterial, 
each  larger  province  by  a  synodical,  and  the  whole  church 
by  a  General  Assembly.  Each  lower  court  is  responsible 
to  the  one  above  it,  in  the  exercise  of  its  authority,  and 
comes  under  its  review  regularly  once  in  each  year.  No 
law  can  be  made  or  executed  in  any  of  these  assemblies 
without  the  formal  consent  of  the  people,  by  their  represen- 
tatives. As  long  as  such  assemblies,  existing  "  in  their 
strong  and  beautiful  subordination,"  constitute  the  govern- 
ment of  the  church,  it  seems  difficult  to  conceive  how  cleri- 
cal usurpation  can  find  admission. 

With  Prelacy,  however,  the  case  is  different.  It  is  a 
government  not  of  assemblies  but  of  individuals. f  Each 
church  is  governed  by  its  rector ;  the  ministers  by  tj^eir 
bishop  ;  and  the  whole  church  by  an  assembly,  on  the  pro- 
ceedings of  which  the  bishops  have  a  veto.  The  leanings 
of  Prelacy  are  embodied  in  the  language  of  one  of  her 
prominent  prelates,:}:  who  objects  to  the  organization  of 

*  Form  of  Government,  chap.  viii.  sec.  1. 

t  "  Episcopacy  is  a  unity  of  person-governing,  and  ordering  persons  and 
things  accidental  and  substantial."  Jeremy  Taylor,  Episcopacy  Asserted, 
Works,  vol.  ii.'p.  149. 

t  Bishop  De  Lancey,  Address  to  the  Convention  in  1812,  quoted  by  Dr. 
Smyth,  Ecclesiastical  Republicanism,  p.  169. 
188 


OF    PRESBYTERY    AND    PRELACY.  19 

their  Board  of  Missions,  because  the  Bishops  are  there 
controlled  by  "  the  vote  of  a  ^najority.^'^  He  says,  "  that 
institution  is  modelled  on  the  Congregational  platform  of 
placing  layman,  deacon,  priest,  and  bishop,  on  the  arena 
of  debate,  where  the  most  skilful,  bold,  zealous,  and  fluent, 
will  predominate,  and  where  the  opinion  of  the  presiding 
bishop  of  the  church  has  no  more  prelatical  weight,  when 
questions  are  brought  to  a  vote,  than  that  of  the  youngest 
deacon  or  youngest  layman  that  may  happen  to  be  voted 
into  either  committee,  to  fill  a  vacancy  within  a  week  be-- 
fore  the  meeting  of  the  board.  The  members  of  the  house 
of  bishops,  as  a  body,  are  as  little  disposed  as  qualified  to 
carry  on  debates  in  a  popular  assembly,  and  yet  unlegs 
they  will  consent  to  the  exposure  and  trials  of  such  a  scene, 
they  must  consent  to  lose  the  weight  of  their  sentiments  in 
the  board,  or  to  seek  peace  by  surrendering  the  conduct  of 
the  institution  to  whomsoever  will  undertake  to  lead  it."  * 

Any  comment  on  this  declaration  is  needless.  Uttered 
but  two  years  ago,  in  a  land  where  no  privileged  governing 
orders  are  admitted  ;  and  where  the  very  principle  of  ma- 
jorities, and  votes,  so  haughtily  and  scornfully  rejected,  is 
the  corner-stone  of  the  civil  fabric,  it  furnishes  perhaps  as 
significant  a  commentary  on  the  tendencies  of  Prelacy  on 
this  point  as  could  be  demanded. 

But  lest  we  should  be  charged  with  unfarrnes§  to  this 
system,  by  drawing  inferences  from  it  which  its  advocates 
disclaim,  let  us  for  an  instant  look  at  the  testimony  of  some 
of  its  friends.  The  Virgin  Queeij  of  England,  who  loved 
Popery  because  she  loved  pomp,  and  hated  it  because  she 
loved  powerpj"  disliked  Presbytery,  because  she  thought  it 
inconsistent  with  monarchy.^  That  drivelling  and  vain- 
glorious pedant  in  whose  person  the  treacherous  race  of  the 
Stuarts  ascended  the  British  throne,  hated  it  in  the  same 
proportion  that   he  hated  liberty  ;  and  loved  Prelacy  as 

*  See  also  Hooker,  Ecc.  Pol,  Book  viii.  p.  499.  (fol.) 
t  Burnet's  Reformation,  by  Nares,  Part  ii.  Book  ii.  vol.  ii.  p.  582. 
\  Burnet's  Refomiation,  by  Nares,  Preface,  p.  xxv.  Lord  Burghley  and 
others  "  demonstrated  to  her  that  these  models  (Presbyterian  Church  Go- 
vernment,) would  certainly  bring  with  them  a  great  abatement  of  her  pre- 
rogative ;  since,  if  the  concerns  of  religion  came  into  popular  hands  there 
would  be  a  power  set  up  distinct  from  hers,  over  which  she  could  have  no 
authority."  Sir  F.  Walsingham  says  (ibid.  p.  650)  "  the  Puritans  pretended 
to  a  democracy  in  the  church,"  "  opened  to  the  people  a  way  to  govern- 
ment by  their  Consistory  and  Presbytery,  a  thing  prejudicial  to  the  sover- 
eignty of  princes."  This  explains  why  "  she  would  often  say  she  hated  the 
Puritans  more  than  the  Papists."    Neal's  Puritans,  eh.  v.  vol.  i.  p.  172. 

189 


20  KELATIVE    INFLUENCE 

much  as  he  was  capable  of  loving  any  thmg  but  himself.* 
His  brilliant,  heartless,  and  ill-starred  son,  "  the  man  who 
never  said  a  foolish  thing,  and  never  did  a  wise  one,"  de- 
clared, "  Show  me  any  precedent  wherever  Presbyterial 
government  and  regal  was  together  without  perpetual 
rebellions.  It  cannot  be  otherwise,  for  the  ground  of  the 
doctrine  is  anti-monarchical.  I  will  say,  without  hyperbole, 
that  there  was  not  a  wiser  man  since  Solomon,  than  he 
who  said  '  No  bishop,  no  king.'  "|  He  also  states  in  his 
letters,  "  that  he  considers  Episcopacy  a  greater  support  to 
his  monarchy  than  the  army.":j:  This  was  the  principal 
ground  for  which  it  was  persecuted  by  Laud,§  that  narrow- 
hearted  and  bitter  bigot,  whose  stunted  intellect  could  just 
execute  what  his  wicked  heart  could  devise,  and  whose  silly 
and  dotard  superstition  would  be  forgotten  in  contempt,  did 
not  his  cruelty  and  pride  stamp  it  with  eternal  infamy. 
The  same  sentiments  have  been  supported  by  Jeremy  Tay- 
lor in  his  Ciceronian  phrase ;  |1  by  Bancroft,  Seeker,  and 
Hicks  from  the  throne  of  the  Hierarchy  ;1[  by  Dry  den  in 
the  limping  numbers  of  the  Hind  and  Panther ;  **  by 
South, -j"!"  and  Swift,^  in  the  sneering  language  of  wit; 
and  by  Heylin  in  the  bitter  and  envenomed  pages  of  what 
he  chooses  to  call  History. §§ 

Nor  is  this  only  the  testimony  of  former  days.  Dr. 
Chandler,  in  pleading  for  an  American  Episcopate,  de- 
clares,|1|1  "  that  Episcopacy  and  monarchy  are  in  their  frame 
best  suited  to  each  other,  and  that  republican  principles 
cannot  flourish  in  an  Episcopal  Church."  The  same  thing 
is  argued  by  other  Episcopal  writers  with  irresistible  force. 
And  were  it  necessary  to  swell  this  mass  of  tflstimony,  we 

*  At  the  Hampton-Court  Conference,  James  said,  "  you  are  aiming  at  a 
Scots'  Presbytery,  which  agrees  with  monarchy  as  well  as  God  and  the 
devil."    Neal's  Puritans,  ii.  43,  44. 

t  Clarendon's  State  Papers,  ii.  202,  260,  274,  quoted  by  Dr.  Miller,  Chris- 
tian Ministry,  330. 

t  Macaulay's  Miscellanies,  p.  86.  See  also  Clarendon's  Hist.  Rebelhon, 
Book  X.  vol.  iii.  p.  5,  (fol.) 

§  Clarendon's  Rebellion,  vol.  i.  book  3,  p.  158;  book  4,  pp.  245,  352;  vol. 
ii.  book  6,  p.  18. 

II  Works,  vol.  ii.  pp.  147,  814,  vol.  iii.  p.  717. 

IT  Ecc.  Rep.  by  Dr.  Smyth,  pp.  136,  154,  179. 

**  Part  I. 

tt  South's  Sermons,  vol.  ii.  pp.  306,  320 ;  vol.  iv.  p.  504. 

tt  Sermon  on  Martyrdom  of  Charles  I.    Works,  vol.  xiv.  p.  69. 

§§  Hist.  Presbyterians,  title  page. 

nil  Appeal,  quoted  Ecc  Rep.  153. 

190 


OF    PRESBYTERY    AND    PRELACY.  21 

could  add  that  of  a  Hooker,*  an  Isaac  Taylor,"]"  a  Macau- 
lay,:}:  a  Carlyle,§  a  George  Bancroft, ||  and  a  DeToque- 
ville,1f  tending  to  the  same  point.  The  competency  and 
force  of  some  of  which  witnesses,  would  surely  not  be 
questioned. 

In  this  argument  we  have  not  even  alluded  to  pure  unre- 
publicanised  Prelacy,  as  we  have  it  in  England,  where  it 
has  always  been  the  truckling  tool  of  tyranny,  the  mitred 
defender  of  the  divine  right  of  kings  to  rule  as  they  pleased, 
and  the  divine  duty  of  subjects  to  be  pleased  with  that 
rule ;  **  or  the  crushing  pyramids  of  prelatical  domination 
that  confine  in  dark  and  hopeless  superstition  and  slavery 
the  millions  that  submit  to  the  authority  of  the  Greek,  Ar- 
menian, Coptic,  Abyssinian,  and  other  Prelatical  churches 
of  the  East.  We  must  look  to  the  old  world  for  the  com- 
plete  development  of  pure  Popery,  and  pure  Prelacy,  in 
their  influence  on  human  liberty.  But  even  confining  our- 
selves to  that  Presbyterianized  form  of  Prelacy,  that  we 
find  existing  in  our  midst,  we  think  there  is  enouo-h 
unanswerably  to  prove  that  Presbytery  embodies  more  fully 
than  Prelacy,  the  acknowledged  principles  of  freedom,  and 
therefore  that  its  influence  must  be  more  favourable  on  the 
development  and  establishment  of  civil  and  ecclesiastical 
liberty. 

II.  We  turn  now  briefly  to  interrogate  history  as  to  the 
extent  to  which  these  relative  tendencies  have  been  embo- 
died in  the  temper  and  conduct  of  the  adherents  of  these 
respective  systems. 

In  conducting  this  inquiry  we  will  not  notice  the  Presby- 
terians of  the  primitive  Church,  such  as  Paul,  Peter,  Igna- 
tius, and  Clement ;  or  those  of  later  ages,  such  as  the 
Waldenses  and  the  Culdees,  or  the  Arnolds,  WicklifFs,  and 
Husses,  of  the  long  period  of  ghostly  despotism  that  pre- 
ceded the  Reformation ;  partly  because  it  is  useless  here  to 
contend  for  disputed  ground,  and  partly  because  it  might 
seem  unfair  to  charge  on  Prelacy  the  tyranny  of  Popery. 

*  Ecc.  Pol,  book  vii.  p.  416,  (fol.) 

t  Spiritual  Despotism,  pp.  123,  137, 

t  Miscellanies,  pp.  16,  86,  &c. 

^  Hero-Worship,  pp.  153,  177,  180. 

II  Hist.  U.  S.  i.  266,  267,  291.  462 ;  ii.  459,  460. 

IT  Democracy  in  America,  part  i.  pp.  11,  15,  17,  281. 

**  See  Book  of  Homilies,  pp.  99,  103,  492.  516,  also  Canons  appended, 
especially  under  the  title  "  of  Church  of  England,"  also  Hooker,  Taylor, 
Macaulay,  &c. 

191 


22  RELATIVE    INFLUENCE 

It  is  true  we  might  show  that  Popery  is  only  the  child  of 
Prelacy,  historically  and  logically ;  that  its  imperious  acts 
are  only  the  simple,  necessary  growth  of  the  Prelatical 
principles  that  are  the  roots  from  which  it  sprung,  and  on 
which  it  rests ;  in  a  word,  that  Popery  is  only  Prelacy>  run 
to  seed,  and  Oxfordism  the  pod  that  contains  it :  but  this 
we  must  forego.  Bringing  our  inquiries  down  to  the  time 
when  pure  Prelacy  and  pure  Presbytery  became  distinct 
from  Popery,  we  have  more  than  sufficient  testimony  to 
determine  the  question. 

It  is  perhaps  unnecessary  to  prove  that  to  the  Reforma- 
tion we  owe  the  liberties  of  modern  Europe  and  America. 
It  was  the  uprising  of  the  human  soul  against  hoary  op- 
pression ;  an  awakening  of  the  ocean-like  mind  of  the  peo- 
ple, that  had  long  been  chained  and  charmed  by  a  spell  of 
words,  by  a  priestly  and  kingly  sorcery  as  cruel  and  bloody, 
as  it  was  hollow  and  false  ;  and  the  mighty  and  thrilling 
voice  of  this  flood-tide  of  the  world,  was  "  freedom  to  choose 
the  worship  of  God,  and  freedom  to  resist  the  tyranny  of 
man."  And  although  thrones,  hierarchies,  armies,  cabi- 
nets, and  all  the  ancient  embankments  of  prescriptive  au- 
thority were  piled  upward  with  frantic  and  desperate  energy 
to  resist  and  roll  back  its  waters,  yet  it  continued  to  swell 
and  rise  in  resistless  might  and  majesty,  until  it  swept 
away  these  bootless  barriers  like  straws  on  the  cataract's 
plunge  :  and,  when  pursued  by  a  bigotry,  dark,  bloody  and 
relentless,  gathering  its  mingled  tributes  from  the  summits 
of  the  icy  Alps,  the  bright  waters  of  Geneva,  the  hills  of 
sturdy  Saxony,  the  green  vales  of  England,  the  wild  glens 
of  Scotland,  and  the  sunny  plains  of  France ;  and  Are- 
thusa  like,  plunging  beneath  the  dark  waves  of  the  ocean, 
it  gurgled  up  in  light  and  beauty,  first  at  the  rock  of  Ply- 
mouth, and  next  at  Bunker  Hill  and  Yorktown.  Thus  the 
Reformation  was  the  fontal  source  even  of  American  liberty. 

But  it  is  equally  clear  that  the  Reformation  was  a  Pres- 
byterian movement.  It  was  the  giant  struggle  of  the  Eu- 
ropean mind  against  prelatical  usurpation,  was  conducted 
by  Presbyters  falling  back  on  their  original  Presbyterial 
authority,  and  its  result  was  Presbytery  in  every  case  ex- 
cept that  solitary  instance  in  which  it  was  not  properly  a 
religious  movement  at  all  in  its  origin ;  but  the  expedient 
of  a  brutal  and  gluttonous  despot,  to  obtain  that  license  for 
his  beastly  appetite  by  renouncing  Rome,  which  he  had 
before  obtained  by  upholding  her.  But  even  in  England, 
192 


OF    PRESBYTERY    AND    PRELACY.  23 

when  Puritanism  was  struggling  for  purity,  it  was  only  by 
a  single  vote,  and  that  one  of  a  number  of  proxies,  in  tlie 
house  of  convocation,  that  a  petition  for  reform  was  reject- 
ed, which,  if  granted,  would  most  probably  have  led  to  the 
pure  and  simple  ritual  of  Presbytery ;  *  and  it  was  only  by 
the  most  powerful  efforts  of  the  haughty  Tudors  and  the 
treacherous  Stuarts,  that  Prelacy  was  retained.  The  whole 
spirit  of  the  Reformation  set  in  strongly  against  it,  and  in 
the  light  of  history,  there  is  more  truth  than  Popery,  in  the 
.  Tractarian  maxim,  that  the  name  "  Protestant  Episcopal" 
is  an  anomaly  and  contradiction  in  terms.  Hence  the  in- 
fluence of  the  Reformation  in  favour  of  freedom,  we  unhes- 
itatingly claim  as  an  illustration  of  the  tendency  of  Pres- 
byterian principles  and  organizations. 
'  In  the  further  history  of  English  liberty,  we  trace  the 
■  influence  of  Presbytery  at  almost  every  important  step.  It 
is  the  language  of  Hume,"|"  that  "  the  precious  spark  of 
liberty  had  been  kindled  and  was  preserved  by  the  Puritans 
alone,"  and  "  that  their  very  absurdities  were  a  shelter  for 
the  noble  principles  of  freedom."  Such  a  testimony  forced 
from  him  is  decisive. 

If  we  examine  the  forces  that  moulded  the  Puritan  cha- 
racter, we  shall  find  Presbytery  bearing  a  prominent  part, 
if  it  was  not  the  very  plastic  influence  that  formed  it.  The 
bloody  Mary,  fulfilling  with  the  characteristic  blindness  of 
bigotry  the  merciful  designs  of  God,  drove  into  banishment 
all  who  refused  to  receive  the  mark  of  the  beast.  That 
five  years  of  exile  formed  the  character  of  Puritanism,  and 
gave  birth  to  the  liberties  of  the  world.  In  the  sweet  em- 
bosomed vale  of  Geneva,  they  found  "  a  church  without  a 
bishop,  and  a  state  without  a  king ;"  and  from  the  lips  of 
Calvin  himself,  they  learned  that  lesson  of  stern  and  lofty 
adherence  to  liberty,  that  was  afterwards  to  be  repeated  in 
the  halls  of  Westminster  and  on  the  fields  of  Naseby  and 
Worcester ;  and  uttered  to  other  lands  and  ages,  by  the 
clarion  voice  of  a  Hampden,  the  Washington  of  England ; 
by  the  high  and  majestic  words  of  a  Milton,  whose  pen  of 
flame  was  more  potent  than  the  warrior's  brand ;  and  by 
the  thunder  tones  of  a  Cromwell,:}:  that  man  of  iron  and 

*  Burnet's  Reformation  by  Nares,  part  iii.  book  vi.  vol.  iii.  p.  455. 

t  Hist,  of  Eng.  vol.  v.  pp.  183,  469. 

t  Yet  so  clearly  did  Cromwell  perceive  the  point  we  contend  for,  that 
when  he  determined  to  make  himself  a  king,  if  possible,  he  also  determin- 
ed in  that  event  to  establish  Episcopacy  as  the  only  sure  support  for  hia 
monarchy.  See  this  proven :  Burnet's  History  of  his  own  time,  book  i. 
vol.  i.  p.  89.^  193 


24  RELATIVE    INFLUENCE 

clay,  whom,  though  "  a  vulgar  fanatic,"  Cardinal  Mazarine 
was  said  to  fear  more  than  he  did  the  devil ;  and  who,  after 
all,  did  more  for  the  good  of  England  and  the  world  than 
a  whole  generation  of  monarchs,  jure  divino.  And  the 
great  revolution  of  1688,  that  gave  liberty  to  England,  was 
in  a  great  measure  purchased  by  the  labours,  sacrifices, 
treasure,  and  blood  of  the  Presbyterians  of  Scotland.* 

But  it  is  in  our  own  land  that  the  influence  of  Presbytery 
receives  its  most  triumphant  demonstration.  The  Revolu- 
tion of  1776,  so  far  as  it  was  affected  by  religion,  was  a 
Presbyterian  measure.  It  was  only  the  natural  result  of 
the  principles  she  had  planted  in  the  persons  of  her  sons, 
the  English  Puritans,  the  Scottish  Covenanters,  the  French 
Huguenots,  and  the  Dutch  Calvinists.  The  elder  Adams, 
in  a  letter  to  Dr.  Morse,  dated  Quincy,  December  2, 1815,f 
says,  "  that  the  apprehension  of  Episcopacy  contributed 
fifty  years  ago,  as  much  as  any  other  cause  to  arouse  the 
attention,  not  only  of  the  inquiring  mind,  but  of  the  com- 
mon people,  and  urge  them  to  close  thinking  on  the  consti- 
tutional power  of  Parliament  over  the  colonies Pas- 
sive obedience,  and  non-resistance  in  the  most  unqualified 
and  unlimited  sense,  were  their  principles  in  government, 
and  the  power  of  the  church  to  decree  rites  and  ceremo- 
nies, and  the  authority  of  the  Church  in  controversies  of 

faith,  were  explicitly  avowed In  Virginia,  the  Church 

of  England  was  established  by  law  in  exclusion  and  with- 
out toleration  of  any  other  denomination.  In  New  York  it 
displayed  its  essential  character  of  intolerance.  Large 
grants  of  land  were  made  to  it,  while  other  denominations 
could  obtain  none,  and  even  Dr.  Rodgers's  congregation,  in 
New  York,  numerous  and  respectable  as  it  was,  could 
never  obtain  a  legal  title  to  a  spot  to  bury  their  dead."  He 
adduces  a  number  of  facts  to  show  what  he  terms  "  the 
bigotry,  intrigue,  intolerance,  and  persecution"  of  Episco- 
pacy in  the  New  England  States,  and  especially  in  Massa- 
chusetts ;  all  tending  to  prove  that  the  dread  of  Episcopal 
intolerance  was  one  of  the  moving  causes  of  the  Revolu- 
tion.:}: His  testimony  is  corroborated  by  the  remark  of 
Bancroft,  "  that  Episcopacy  and  monarchy  were  feared  as 
natural  allies." 


*  Macaulay's  Miscellanies,  pp.  303,  306,  311. 

t  Methodist  Protestant,  quoted  from  the  New  York  Evangelist. 

X  See  this  virtually  admitted,  Bishop  White's  Memoirs,  p.  93. 

194 


OF    PRESBYTERY    AND    PRELACY.  25 

It  is  the  testimony  of  a  distinguished  Episcopal  jurist,* 
and  of  the  venerable  Bishop  White  himself,  that  a  majority 
of  the  royalists  in  the  colonies  were  Episcopalians,  and  that 
the  Episcopal  clergy  were  generally  opposed  to  the  Revo- 
lution,f  whilst  the  Presbyterian  clergy  were  its  advocates 
and  defenders,  and  suffered  most  severely  from  the  brutality 
of  the  British  soldiery.:}:  The  devotion  of  the  sainted  and 
massacred  Caldwell  and  others  is  written  in  their  blood. 
These  are  facts  familiar  to  the  merest  novice  in  American 
history.  The  Presbyterian  Church  was  the  first  to  protest 
against  British  tyranny,  and  nerve  the  arms  of  her  sons 
for  the  terrible  conflict ;  §  the  first  to  acknowledge  the  Dec- 
laration of  Independence  ;  ||  (which  a  distinguished  civilian 
of  New  YorklT  has  traced  to  the  Solemn  League  and  Cove- 
nant as  its  model,)  and  the  wisdom  and  firmness  of  a  Pres- 
byterian VVitherspoon  in  the  halls  of  Congress,  and  the 
sturdiness  of  the  Presbyterian  valour  of  a  Morgan,  a  Shelby, 
a  Marion,  and  others,  whose  blood  gushed  forth  on  many 
a  turf,  and  whose  bones  are  now  bleaching  on  many  a  sto- 
ried spot,  contributed  eminently  to  crown  that  fearful  strug- 
gle with  success.  And  in  determining  the  structure  of  our 
Government,  Chief  Justice  Tilghman  has  remarked,  that 
the  framers  of  the  United  States  Constitution  borrowed  very 
much  of  the  form  of  our  Republic  from  that  form  of  Church 
government  developed  in  the  constitution  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church  of  Scotland.*^  And  it  is  susceptible  of  the 
amplest  proof  that  to  Presbytery  is  due  the  separation  of 
Church  and  State.  For  this  they  struggled  against  Prelacy 
in  Virginia,"]""!"  ^^^  ^^  ^^^st  in  advance  of,  if  not  in  opposi- 
tion to,  independency  ;:i:i  and  it  is  to  these  struggles  that 
we  owe  the  absence  of  an  established  religion  in  the  United 
States.     Hence  the  influence  of  Presbytery  was  decidedly 

*  W.  B.  Reed,  Esq.,  Address  to  Philomathean  Society. 

t  See  also  Dr.  Hawks'  Contributions  to  Prot.  Epis.  Church,  U.  S.  Hist, 
Virginia,  p.  135.  Bishop  White's  Case  of  the  Episcopal  Churches  in  U.  S. 
Considered,  pp.  4,  5,  16,  29, 

i  Baird's  Religion  in  the  United  States,  p.  230. 

"S  See  the  Pastoral  Letter  of  the  Synod  of  New  York  and  Philadelphia. 
Records,  p.  466. 

II  See  original  paper  of  Hanover  Presbytery,  adopted  1776,  in  Baird's  Re- 
ligion in  United  States,  pp.  231 — 234. 

IT  Hon.  G.  C.  Vei-planck. 

**  Dr.  W.  Harris.    Presbyterian,  Feb.  24,  1844. 

tt  See  this  proven,  and  Jefferson  stripped  of  his  borrowed  plumes  in  this 
matter.  Baird's  Religion  in  U.  S.,  book  iii.  chap,  iii.,  and  admitted  reluc- 
tantly, in  Dr.  Hawks'  Ecc.  Hist.,  Virginia,  pp.  139,  173. 

It  The  union  of  Church  and  State  was  not  dissolved  in  most  of  the  New 
Eno;land  States  until  1816,  in  Massachusetts  not  until  1833. 

'^  195 


20  RELATIVE    INFLUENCE 

favourable,  wliile  that  of  Prelacy  was  at  least  indifferent, 
if  not  hostile  to  the  establishment  of  American  indepen- 
dence at  the  time  it  was  actually  declared  and  achieved. 

But  we  will  be  met  by  the  standing  reply  that  Puritanism 
was  intolerant.  Now  without  dwelling  on  the  fact  that  the 
Puritans  of  New  England,  and  of  Old  England,  who  were 
most  intolerant,  were  not  Presbyterians  but  Independents ; 
we  contend  that  even  the  intolerance  of  Puritanism  has 
many  apologies  that  cannot  be  pleaded  by  Prelacy.  It 
was  the  intolerance  of  self-defence  ;  the  intolerance  of  those 
who,  having  lopped  off  the  heads  of  the  hydra  that  had 
well-nigh  destroyed  them,  thought  it  necessary  to  crush 
those  heads  when  they  began  to  grow  and  hiss  afresh 
around  them  ;  the  intolerance  of  those  who,  having  fled 
from  tyranny  to  the  wilderness,  wished  to  save  the  neces- 
sity for  another  flight,  by  choosing  the  inmates  of  their 
forest  homes,  and  not  warming  into  life  that  which  at  length 
would  sting  them.  If  Puritanism  began  with  Calvin,  as  is 
alleged,  surely  persecution  did  not,  and  when  safety  was 
obtained  after  years  of  suffering,  can  we  wonder  that  it 
should  be  employed  in  self-protection  7  Yet  this  is  the  fact 
as  to  most  of  the  intolerance  on  which  so  many  changes 
are  rung.  But  the  whole  age  was  behind,  though  advanc- 
ing toward,  perfect  freedom ;  and  was  the  ideal  to  spring, 
Minerva-like,  full-formed  and  panoplied  from  the  labouring 
body  politic?  And  compare  the  drivelling  Laud,  the  impe- 
rious Strafford,  the  bloody  Claverhouse,  the  traitorous 
Sharpe,  or  the  perfidious  Lauderdale,  with  any  Puritan 
persecutor,  as  to  those  high  and'  noble  traits  of  humanity, 
which  we  admire  in  action,  and  love  in  repose,  and  they 
were  as  far  below  them,  as  a  Dominic  or  a  Hildebrand  is 
below  a  Chrysostom  or  an  Augustine.  The  one  class  per- 
secuted because  of  their  system,  the  other  in  spite  of  it  ; 
the  one,  in  defence  of  the  faith,  the  other  in  defence  of 
themselves.  The  age  was  advancing  towards  liberty,  and 
Presbytery  was  in  the  front,  whilst  Prelacy  was  in  the  rear, 
where  she  will  probably  remain.  The  stag  in  the  fable 
was  fearful  lest  his  hinder  feet  should  overtake  and  outrun 
his  fore ;  a  similar  fear  as  to  the  outstripping  tendencies  of 
Prelacy  is  equally  well-grounded.  And  even  if  the  ten- 
dencies of  the  systems  should  in  some  cases  be  arrested 
and  counteracted,  yet  the  tendencies  not  the  less  certainly 
exist. 

Are  not  the  tendencies  of  the  svstems  clearly  marked  in 
196 


OF    PRESBYTERY    AND    PRELACY.  27 

history?  Do  they  not  exhibit  some  invariable  traits 
wherever  they  exist  ?  Has  Prelacy  been  chosen  spontane- 
ously by  the  champions  and  martyrs  of  liberty  1  Has  she 
been  invariably  feared  and  persecuted  by  tyrants ;  by  the 
Charleses,  and  Jameses,  and  Elizabeths  of  the  world  ?  Has 
she  marked  with  her  favour  the  great  epochs  of  liberty, 
the  Reformation,  and  the  Revolutions  of  1640,  1688,  1776, 
and  1798,  so  far  as  they  were  struggles  for  popular  eman- 
cipation? Has  she  always  been  found  on  the  side  of 
struggling  right  against  unholy  might?  Has  she  been 
marked  by  the  sacrifice  of  benefices,  and  livings  and  state 
patronage  for  liberty  and  truth  ?  Have  her  "  successors  to 
the  apostles"  been  found  champions  for  the  rights  of  the 
people  to  choose  their  own  rulers,  temporal  and  spiritual, 
and  determine  their  compensation  ?  Were  the  Husses,  the 
Luthers,  the  Calvins,  the  Knoxes,  the  Melvilles,  and  the 
Sidneys,  the  apostles  and  high-priests  of  liberty,  Prelatists? 
Has  Prelacy  ever  manfully  resisted  the  usurpations  of  the 
civil  power  ?  Did  she  so  in  the  "  prerogative"  days  of 
Elizabeth?  Did  she  so  when  the  Stuarts  were  goading 
England  to  madness ;  when  the  dragoons  of  Claverhouse 
were  staining  the  heather  of  Scotland  with  brave  and  inno- 
cent blood,  and  the  gray-haired  sire,  the  defenceless  mother, 
and  the  unconscious  babe,  were  massacred  with  indiscrimi- 
nate brutality  ?  Did  she  so  when  but  yesterday,  after  re- 
peated struggles  for  freedom,  the  old  and  honoured  banner 
of  Christ's  crown  was  unfurled  from  the  castled  crags  of 
Scotland,  and  the  thrilling  battle-cry  of  other  days  awoke 
some  of  the  stern  and  lofty  spirit  of  the  mighty  dead  ? 
Why  has  all  this  been  true  to  the  letter,  of  Presbytery  ? 

But  is  this  clearly  marked  tendency  only  a  characteristic 
of  the  past  ?  Is  it  true,  as  we  often  hear  from  "  apostolic" 
sources,  that  Presbytery  is  intolerant  of  the  religious  rights 
of  others  ?  Does  she  arrogate  to  herself  the  title  of  tJie 
Church,  and  call  others  (except  "  the  erring  sister"  that 
dwells  in  her  vestal  simplicity  on  the  Tiber,)  sects  and  con- 
venticles, if  not  synagogues  of  Satan  ?  Does  she  lay  down 
a  Procrustian  rule  of  rites  and  organization,  and  then  de- 
nounce, unchurch,  and  exclude  even  from  "  covenanted 
mercy,"  all  non-conformists  ?  Does  she  deny  the  validity 
of  all  ecclesiastical  acts  but  her  own  ?  Does  she  pass  loftily 
by,  "  on  the  other  side,"  and  rather  see  the  wretched  sub- 
jects of  temperance,  Bible,  tract,  and  Sabbath  associations, 
perish  in  their  destitution,  than  soil  her  lawn  in  their  res- 
R2  197 


28  RELATIVE    INFLUENCE 

cue,  by  coming  in  contact  with  dissenting  Samaritans? 
Does  she  insolently  brand  with  the  epithet  of  "  dissenters," 
those  who  think  the  unwieldy  panoply  of  the  dark  ages, 
with  its  stains  of  blood,  and  its  joints  of  iron,  unsuiied  to 
the  battles  of  the  Lord,  and  who  prefer  the  shepherd's  sling 
to  the  armour  of  Saul?  Does  she  exclude  the  very  dead 
from  the  sanctuary  of  the  consecrated  grave,  for  the  sin  of 
daring  to  worship  God  in  life  under  their  own  vine  and  fig- 
tree  ?  Does  she  obstruct  and  trammel  the  exercise  of  pri- 
vate judgment,  and  the  freedom  of  speech  and  debate,  as 
far  as  she  dare  ?  Does  she  follow  the  missionary  labours 
of  others,  and  rather  see  the  bigoted  Armenian,  the  igno- 
rant Nestorian,  and  the  benighted  Hindoo,  die  in  delusion, 
than  be  dispossessed  and  exorcised  by  those  who  "  follow 
not  after  her  ?"  Does  she  exalt  her  symbols  with  an  idola- 
trous reverence,  and  dwell  on  forms  and  rites  as  absolute 
means  and  conditions  of  salvation  ?  Does  she  forsake  the 
weightier  matters  of  the  law,  and  cling  to  a  figment  of  apos- 
tolic succession  as  the  very  spinal  marrow  of  the  Church, 
which,  if  once  sundered,  life  is  extinct  ?  Does  she  denounce 
separation  from  her  as  schism,  as  the  unpardonable  sin, 
and  significantly  hint  at  the  fate  of  Korah,  Dathan,  and 
Abiram?  Does  she  induce  a  beardless  striplins  to  insult  a 
gray-haired  father  by  disowning  his  ministerial  commis- 
sion, and  even  virtually  denying  his  own  legitimacy,  for 
the  carrying  out  of  "  Church  principles?"  Are  her  minis- 
ters found,  at  one  time  invading  the  courtesies  of  a  social 
entertainment  to  insult  the  children  of  the  pilgrims  by -un- 
churching their  honoured  and  sainted  sires,  and  at' another 
going  down  on  their  knees  to  one  of  those  "  who  call  them- 
selves apostles  and  are  not,"  because  the  skirt  of  his  liber- 
ality, that  was  too  narrow  to  cover  those  men  of  whom  the 
world  was  not  worthy,  and  of  the  fruit  of  whose  toil  and 
tears  they  themselves  were  thanklessly  eating,  was  yet 
wide  enough  to  embrace  that  bloated  harlot,  whose  hands 
are  yet  dripping  with  their  blood?  Are  her  moderators 
found  dictating  to  her  judicatories  what  shall  go  on  their 
minutes,  and  treating  their  worthiest  members,  like  school- 
boys or  slaves?  Are  her  ministers  found  vaunting  with  a 
starched  and  strutting  dignity,  and  a  swelling  self-impor- 
tance, sonorous  and  lordly  titles,  that  if  not  arrant  non- 
sense, involve  a  claim  of  spiritual  jurisdiction,  to  certain 
territory  as  absdute  and  exclusive  as  that  of  the  civil 
government,  calling  themselves  the  Bishops,  not  of  dioceses, 
198 


OF    PRESBYTERY    AND    PRELACY.  29 

or  churches,  but  of  States  ?  Is  there  nothing  like  intoler- 
ance here  ?  Is  not  this  the  very  same  spirit  (they  them- 
selves being  the  judges)  that  breathed  in  Charles,  James, 
and  Laud,  those  eminent  and  favourite  polemics  of  Prelacy, 
when  to  these  meek  and  gentle  means  of  convincing  and 
converting  dissenters,  were  added  such  cogent  and  logical 
arguments  as  the  thumb-screw,  the  boot,  the  pillory,  the 
dungeon,  and  the  scaffold  ?  And  if  we  see  modern  Prelacy 
following  in  the  footsteps  of  ancient  Prelacy  as  far  as  it 
dare,  or  can  go,  are  we  to  be  deemed  either  incredulous  or 
uncharitable,  if  we  think  it  at  least  not  a  matter  of  regret, 
that  it  cannot  go  any  further?  And  if,  when  we  are  met 
with  such  arrogant  pretensions  at  every  turn,  we  venture 
in  all  humility  to  make  some  inquiries  as  to  their  authority 
and  tendency,  in  a  land  of  liberty,  will  an  "  apostolic  insti- 
tution" object  to  such  a  Berean  process  as  "  unwarrantable 
meddling?"  Surely,  in  view  of  this  mass  of  testimony,  we 
cannot  be  charged  with  either  illegitimate  reasoning  or  un- 
charitable deduction,  when  we  conclude  from  all  this,  that 
the  influence  of  Presbytery  is  at  least  much  more  decidedly 
and  positively  favourable  than  that  of  Prelacy,  to  the  de- 
velopment and  establishment  of  civil  and  ecclesiastical 
liberty. 

In  concluding-  this  discussion,  we  disclaim  all  intention 
of  assailing  or  censuring  indiscriminately  those  who  com,, 
pose  the  Episcopal  church.  We  rejoice  to  know  that  there 
are  found  amongst  them  as  pure  patriots,  as  sound  republi- 
cans, as  dev'oted  and  liberal  Christians,  and  as  scriptural 
and  catholic  theologians,  as  ever  adorned  the  doctrine  of 
Christ.  There  are  those  who  reject  and  deplore  the  arro- 
gance, and  Romish  tendencies  amongst  their  dignitaries,  as 
cordially  as  we  do,  but  who,  owing  to  the  structure  of  their, 
system,  can  only  weep  and  pray  over  what  they  cannot 
correct.  They  have  not  the  spirit  of  Prelacy,  but  the  Spi- 
rit of  Christ.  With  such  we  most  cordially  sympathize 
and  fraternize,  and  would  grieve  if  any  thing  now  uttered 
should  express  toward  them  any  feeling  but  brotherly  kind- 
ness and  charity.  Did  they  give  tone  to  the  measures  and 
language  of  their  Church,  contr6versy  would  cease,  and  we 
could  unite  our  forces  in  the  common  cause,  and  against 
the  common  enemy. 

But  when  claims  are  made  whose  insolence  is  unparal- 
leled,  except  by   their  emptiness   and  wickedness;  when 
spiritual  religion,  the  piety  of  the  heart,  is  treated  with  a 
3*  199 


30  RELATIVE    INFLUENCE 

cold  and  ribald  mockery  that  chills  the  blood  with  horror  ;*' 
when  it  is  loudly  proclaimed  that  Prelacy  is  not  only  the 
sole,  authorised  system  of  polity,  but  it  is  boasted  of  as 
eminently  even  republican  ;  and  when  our  commissions  are 
rudely  snatched  from  us  and  pronounced  in  the  hearing  of 
our  people  as  forgeries,  and  impostures ;  silence  becomes 
at  bnce  cowardice  and  treason,  and  neither  attack  nor  de- 
fence from  us  requires  any  apology. 

When  we  look  at  the  rapid  strides  of  Prelatical  arro- 
gance in  our  own  land,  and  see  in  other  lands  its 
shuffling,  sidelong  movement  toward  Popery ;  and  add 
to  this  the  political  signs  of  the  times ;  the  systematic 
measures  of  the  British  government  wantonly  to  insult  the 
Presbyterians  of  Ireland  in  the  most  sacred  and  tender  tie 
of  human  life ;  whilst  it  meanly  fawns  on  and  crouches  to 
Popery ;  its  disposition  to  oppress  the  Presbyterians  of  Eng- 
land by  education  bills,  and  chapel  bills  ;  whilst  it  smiles 
even  on  the  enemies  of  a  Divine  Saviour,  if  they  are  also 
enemies  to  this  turbulent  system  ;  its  persevering  efforts  to 
crush  the  free  sons  of  Scotland,  who  have  dared  to  assert 
principles  at  once  purchased  and  hallowed  by  the  blood  of 
their  fathers ;  the  startling  and  ominous  resemblances  that 
exist  between  the  present  condition  of  England,  and  that 
which  preceded  and  produced  her  two  great  revolutions ; 
the  steady  policy  of  France  to  cripple  and  destroy  Presby- 
tery, in  violation  of  the  very  letter  and  spirit  of  her  prima- 
ry-laws; the  evident  tendency  of  all  Protestant  Europe 
toward  a  hierarchy,  as  the  means  of  propping  up  the  tot- 
tering turrets  of  usurped  and  frightened  power ;  and  look 
at  the  accumulation  of  those  internal  elements,  that  may, 
ere  long,  burst  forth  with  volcanic  fury,  in  one  of  those 
earthquake  explosions  that  scar  and  notch  the  record  of  the 
past ;  there  is  no  reflecting  mind  that  does  not  seriously 
forecast  the  future.  If  that  last  fearful  struggle  of  the  em- 
battled hosts  of  truth  and  error,  may  be  at  hand,  which 
passed  in  its  mystic  and  shadowy  but  terrific  grandeur  be- 
fore the  eye  of  the  lonely  exile  of  Patmos  ;  and  if  these 
ominous  warnings  may  be  the  first  distant  clink  of  busy 

*  The  New  York  Churchman  (Feb.  17, 1841)  not  content  with  contempt- 
uously sneering  at  "  evangelical  religion,"  actually  avows  itself  drawn  to 
the  Christian  Register,  the  Unitarian  organ  of  Boston,  "  by  many  cords  of 
sympathy,  and  among  them  are  hostility  to  the  popular  religion  <jf  the  day, 
variously  called  Orthodoxy,  Calvinism,  Revivalism,  and  the  Lutheran  here- 
sy of  Justification."    This  avowal  has  at  least  the  merit  of  honesty. 

200 


OF    PRESBYTERY    AND    PR-ELACY.  31 

preparation  that  forebodes  to  the  wakeful  ear  the  coming 
battle ;  it  becomes  those  whose  fathers  have  always  been 
found  in  the  hottest  and  bloodiest  spot  of  the  contest,  to 
prepare  to  stand  in  their  lot,  and  calmly  await  the  future. 
If  peace  and  quiet  shed  their  mellow  light  around  us,  let  us 
stand  fast  to  the  truth  of  God,  and  not  be  betrayed  into 
laxity  on  the  one  hand,  or  bigotry  on  the  other :  stand  fast 
to  duty,  that  we  provoke  not  God  to  scourge  us  to  our  task 
by  adversity  :  stand  fast  to  one  another,  that  we  fall  not 
by  internecine  strife  and  fratricidal  phrensy.  But  if  trouble 
from  without,  and  hot,  bitter  contests  from  within,  await  us ; 
if  the  storm  and  the  darkness  are  to  gather  over  our  path, 
yet  still  let  us  stand  fast :  stand  fast  to  the  pure  mystery  of 
the  cross,  the  stumbling-block  and  the  foolishness  of  formal- 
ism and  philosophy  :  stand  fast  to  the  altars  that  are  hal- 
lowed with  the  blood  of  our  fathers:  stand  fast  to  the  sanc- 
tuaries that  enshrine  their  honoured  dust:  stand  fast  to  that 
holy  and  beautiful  house  that  was  built  in  troublous  times, 
on  whose  stately. and  snowy  turrets  are  engraved  such  high 
and  glorious  memories  of  the  past,  and  around  whose  lofty 
pinnacle  linger  and  play  such  bright  and  cheering  visions 
of  the  future :  stand  fast  to  those  pure  and  noble  truths  of 
doctrine  and  order  bequeathed  by  our  fathers,  in  which 
they  lived  and  for  which  they  died :  in  a  word,  "  Stand 
fast  in  the  liberty  wherewith  Christ  hath  made  us  free." 


THE    END. 


Stereotyped  by 

8.    DOUGLAS    WrETH, 
No.  7  Pear  street. 


201 


r-y 


THE  DUTY 


OF 


PEAYER  EOR  MINISTEHS. 


BY    THE 

Rev.  WILLIAM  J.  McCORD. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION 


203 


Entered,  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1844,  by 
Alexander  W.  Mitchell,  M.  D.,  in  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  the 
District  Court  for  the  Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


Printed  by 

W.M.  S.  MARTIEN. 

Stereotvpefi  by 

S.  DOUGLAS  WYETH 

No.  7  Peai^St.  Fhiladelphi; 


PRAYER  FOR  MINISTERS. 


Finally,  brethren,  pray  for  us,  that  the  word  of  the  Lord  may  have 
free  course  and  be  glorified. — 2  Thess.  iii.  1. 

Paul,  the  apostle  to  the  Gentiles,  often  requested  the 
prayers  of  his  Christian  brethren.  In  1  Thess.  v.  25, 
he  writes.  Brethren,  pray  for  us.  In  Col.  iv.  2 — 4, 
Continue  in  prayer,  and  watch  in  the  same  with 
thanksgiving;  withal  praying  also  for  us,  that  God 
would  open  unto  us  a  door  of  utterance,  &c.  To  the 
Ephesians,  Praying  always  with  all  prayer  and  sup- 
plication in  the  Spirit,  and  watching  thereunto  with 
all  perseverance  and  supplication  for  all  sahits;  and 
for  me,  that  utterance  may  be  given  unto  me,  that  I 
may  open  my  mouth  boldly,  &c.  Eph.  vi.  18 — 20. 
And  the  text.  Finally,  brethren,  pray  for  us,  that  the 
word  of  the  Lord  may  have  free  course,  and  be  glori- 
fied. 2  Thess.  iii.  1,2.  If  Paul  felt  it  necessary  to 
request  the  prayers  of  his  brethren,  how  much  more 
needful  is  it  for  the  ministers  of  Christ  now  to  make 
the  same  request !  Well  may  they  adopt  the  language 
of  the  text  as  their  own,  and  repeat  it  on  all  suitable 
occasions.  Brethren,  pray  for  us,  &c. 
Two  prominent  ideas  are  suggested: 

I.  The  duty  of  praying  for  ^ministers;  and 

II.  The  considerations  by  lohich  the  duty  is  en- 
forced. 

In  the  opening  and  enforcement  of  these  ideas,  may 
the  Lord  himself  be  our  Teacher  and  our  Helper,  that 
the  considerations  may  move  us  ta  the  performance 
of  the  duty ! 

I.   The  duty — Brethren,  pray  for  us. 

1.  This  duty  is  implied  in  those  general  directions 

of  prayer  which  are    contained  in  the    Scriptures. 

Thus  Paul  to  Timothy,  I  exhort  therefore,  that,  first 

of  all,  supplications,  prayers,  intercessions,  and  giving 

S  205         3 


4  PRAYER  FOR  MINISTERS. 

of  thanks  be  made  for  all  men;  for  kings,  and  for  all 
that  are  in  authority,  &c.  1  Tim.  ii.  1 — 3.  To  the' 
Ephesians,  in  a  passage  already  quoted,  Praying 
always  with  all  prayer  .  .  .  for  all  saints.  If  for  all 
saints,  then  of  course  for  them  who  stand  as  watch- 
men on  the  walls  of  Zion.  The  whole  includes  the 
parts ;  and  when  we  are  taught  to  pray  for  the  peace 
of  Jerusalem,  for  the  welfare  of  the  church  of  God, 
Ps.  cxxii.  6,  the  duty  of  praying  for  the  ministry  is 
implied.  So  it  is  when  the  prophet  saith,  Ye  that 
make  mention  of  the  Lord,  keep  not  silence,  and  give 
him  no  rest  till  he  establish,  and  till  he  make  Jerusa- 
lem a  praise  in  the  earth.  Isa.  Ixii.  5 — 7.  In  this 
glorious  consummation,  how  much  depends  upon  the 
ministry  of  reconciliation  !  For  though  God  gives  the 
increase,  Paul  plants  and  Apollos  waters — and  the 
increase  is  given  in  answer  to  prayer.  1  Cor.  iii.  5 — 7. 
Are  we  taught  to  pray  for  the  establishment  and  ex- 
tension of  the  church,  and  yet  may  we  neglect  to  pray 
for  them  who  must  bear  so  important  a  part  in  her 
every  onward  movement  ?  Never  !  The  very  reason 
why  they  who  make  mention  of  the  Lord,  are  not  to 
keep  silence,  is,  because  watchmen  are  set  upon  the 
walls  of  Jerusalem.  Isa.  Ixii,  6.  And  with  what  ear- 
nestness does  Paul  address  the  Romans,  Now  I  be- 
seech you,  brethren,  for  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ's  sake, 
and  for  the  love  of  the  Spirit,  that  ye  strive  together 
with  me  in  your  prayers  to  God  for  me.  .  .  .  that  I 
may  come  unto  you  with  joy  by  the  Avill  of  God,  and 
may  with  you  be  refreshed.   Rom.  xv.  30 — 32. 

2.  The  duty  is  inseparable  from  the  relation  of 
minister  and  people.  He  is  to  seek  their  good,  by 
imparting  to  them  the  instructions  of  the  word  of  God, 
and  by  his  intercessions  and  prayers  in  their  behalf 
They  are  to  hear  the  word  of  God  at  his  lips,  and 
endeavour  to  receive  profit  from  all  his  ministrations. 
He  is  their  pastor ;  they  his  people.  Mutual  duties 
grow  out  of  this  relation.  If  the  pastor  has  duties,  so 
have  the  people.  And  whether  the  relation  shall  be 
comfortable  and  happy,  and  whether  it  shall  be  crown- 
ed with  blessed  results,  must,  under  God,  depend  very 
206 


PRAYER  FOR  MINISTERS.  5 

much  upon  two  considerations: — 1.  whether  the  min- 
ister himself  possesses  the  right  spirit ;  and,  2,  whether 
this  spirit  is  possessed  by  the  people.  Now,  the  pre- 
parations of  the  heart  in  man,  as  well  as  the  answer 
of  the  tongue,  are  from  the  Lord.  Prov.  xvi.  1.  If 
the  people  are  not  much  engaged  in  prayer  for  them- 
selves and  their  minister,  they  are  not  prepared  to  be 
benefitted  by  the  ministrations  even  of  an  angel ;  nor 
can  they,  without  prayer,  expect  their  minister  to  be 
prepared  greatly  to  benefit  them.  The  most  profit- 
able sermons,  usually,  are  those  in  which  the  people 
feel  most  interested;  but  how  can  they  be  interested 
if  they  offer  no  prayer  for  him  who  breaks  to  them 
the  bread  of  life  ?  It  is  better  to  preach  the  gospel  in 
^he  midst  of  the  darkness  of  heathenism,  than  to  a 
^thurch  which  offers  no  prayer  for  its  pastor,  and  thus 
manifests  the  most  painful  indifference  to  its  own  spi- 
ritual advancement.  Obey  them  that  have  the  rule 
over  you,  and  submit  yourselves;  for  they  watch  for 
your  souls,  as  they  that  must  give  account,  that  they 
may  do  it  with  joy,  and  not  with  grief;  for  that  is 
unprofitable  for  you.  Pray  for  us — which  is  the  oft 
repeated  and  earnest  request  of  the  devoted  and  zeal- 
ous Paul.  Heb.  xiii.  17,  18. 

3.  The  peculiar  duties  and  trials  of  ministers  be- 
speak for  them  an  interest  in  the  prayers  of  their  peo- 
ple. No  class  of  men  have  more  difficulties  to  en- 
counter, more  trials  to  meet,  more  discouragements 
to  depress  and  overwhelm  them.  They  have  to  meet 
constant  drafts  upon  their  intellectual  powers,  and 
they  must  come  in  contact  with  a  thousand  things 
which  have  a  tendency  to  counteract  the  natural  and 
cheerful  flow  of  the  animal  spirits.  They  have  every 
sort  of  taste  to  please,  every  kind  of  objection  to  meet, 
every  degree  of  prejudice  to  overcome.  They  have 
to  deal  with  the  inditference  of  those  who  are  out  of 
the  church,  and  with  the  coldness  of  those  who  are 
within.  They  must  preach  to  those  who  are  dead  in 
sin,  prophesy  to  the  dry  bones,  and  often  see  no  signs 
of  life,  and  be  obliged  to  exclaim,  Who  hath  believed 
our  report  ?   and  to  whom  is  the  arm  of  the  Lord 

1*  207 


6  PRAYER  FOR  MINISTERS. 

revealed?  Eph.  ii.  1;  Ezek.  xxxvii.  1 — 10;  Isa.  liii.  1. 
And  who  is  sufficient  for  these  things?  2  Cor.  ii. 
16.  Who  can  perform  the  duties  and  meet  the  trials 
of  the  ministry  in  his  own  strength  ?  Our  sufficiency- 
is  of  God.  2  Cor.  iii.  5.  And  shall  they  to  whom  we 
minister  take  no  interest  in  our  duties  and  trials? 
Shall  they  offer  no  prayer  in  our  behalf?  Shall  they 
be  informed  that  our  sufficiency  is  of  God,  and  yet 
not  seek  for  us  that  grace  by  which  we  are  enabled 
to  do  all  things?  1  Cor.  xv.  10;  2  Cor.  xii.  9;  Phil. 
iv.  ]  3. — Brethren,  pray  for  us ! 

But  there  is  in  your  minds  no  question  as  to  the 
duty.  You  need  not  to  have  it  proved,  but  enforced. 
The  duty  is  admitted.  It  is  binding  upon  all  Chris- 
tians in  every  age.  They  who  labour  in  word  and 
doctrine  are  to  be  esteemed  worthy  of  double  honour; 
and  that  esteem  will  lead  us  to  remember  them  at  the 
throne  of  grace.  1  Tim.  v.  17.  Now  observe,  if  it  is 
duty  to  pray  for  all  ministers,  as  is  readily  granted, 
then  it  must  be  duty  to  pray  for  your  own.  But 
while  the  duty  is  admitted  in  the  general,  and  perhaps 
performed,  how  is  it  in  this  particular  instance?  Is 
your  own  pastor  remembered  in  your  prayers?  Pause 
and  think  of  your  closet  duties.  Perhaps  you  have 
no  closet,  and  no  secret  prayer  !  Then  give  up  your 
hope  as  a  Christian,  and  repent  of  your  wickedness  ! 
If  a  Christian,  you  have  a  closet.  Do  you  remember 
your  minister  there?  Suppose  now  the  growth  of 
piety  in  your  own  soul,  and  the  progress  of  your 
church  in  holiness,  and  the  increase  of  its  numbers  by 
additions  from  the  world,  all  depended  upon  your 
closet  prayers  for  your  minister.  Would  you  not  feel 
under  such  circumstances,  that  you  ought  to  pray  much 
more  for  him  in  secret  than  you  now  do?  Or,  sup- 
pose that  a  revival  of  religion  among  you  were  sus- 
pended upon  the  secret  prayers  of  your  church  for  its 
pastor.  How  long,  think  you,  must  you  wait  before 
receiving  it?  You  go  on  the  Sabbath  to  hear  him 
preach ;  do  you  pray  for  him  in  your  closet  in  the 
morning  ?  When  about  to  go  up  to  the  house  of  the 
Lord,  do  you  retire  to  seek  God's  blessing  on  the  ser- 
208 


PRAYER  FOR  MINISTERS.  7 

vices  of  the  sanctuary  ?  Do  you  pray  for  your  min- 
ister when  going  Ihither?  Do  you  lift  a  prayer  to 
God  in  his  behalf,  when  in  the  place  of  worship  ?  I 
ask  not  these  questions  by  way  of  suspicion,  but  of 
honest  self-examination.  I  would  lead  you  to  inquire 
of  yourself  whether  you  pray  as  much  as  you  ought 
in  your  closet  for  your  minister ;  for  if  you  pray  not 
for  him  there  in  secret,  how  can  you  expect  God  to 
bless  you  openly  by  his  ministrations  ? 

And  how  is  it  in  yowx  family  ?  It  may  be  you  have 
no  family  altar !  Then  let  not  this  day  end  before 
you  have  one  !  If  once  you  had  one,  and  it  is  fallen 
down,  gather  up  its  scattered  and  broken  stones  and 
rebuild  it.  A  Christian  family  without  prayer  !  Why, 
it  is  worse  than  the  heathen !  They  worship  their 
gods,  and  why  should  not  you  worship  yours  ?  How 
is  it  in  those  families  where  God  is  worshipped? 
Reader,  how  is  it  in  yours?  Is  he  remembered  Vv^ho 
ministers  to  you  in  holy  things  ?  If  you  pray  not  for 
him  around  your  hearth,  how  can  you  expect  your 
household  to  be  interested  in  the  messages  of  mercy 
which  he  delivers?  Suppose  the  salvation  of  your 
family  were  suspended  upon  the  prayers  offered  for 
your  minister  in  your  family  devotions ;  would  you 
not  feel  that  you  ought  to  be  more  full  and  earnest  in 
prayer  for  him  there  ?  Suspicion  dictates  not  these 
questions ;  but  I  would  have  you  think  of  the  exer- 
cises in  your  family,  and  inquire  of  your  own  heart 
whether  your  pastor  has  had  as  large  a  space  in  them 
as  the  interests  of  religion  demand. 

Turn  now  to  your  meetings  for  prayer,  the  month- 
ly concert,  the  church  meetings,  the  weekly  prayer 
meetings,  and  how  is  it  in  each  of  these  ?  Perhaps 
you  do  not  attend  them,  and  for  that  there  may  be  good 
reason ;  but  you  will  endeavour  to  be  as  regular  and 
punctual  in  your  attendance  on  them  all  as  the  provi- 
dence of  God  will  permit.  Let  such  be  your  firm  re- 
solves ;  and  inquire  whether,  heretofore,  as  much  prayer 
has  been  offered  in  these  meetings  as  there  should  have 
been  for  your  minister?  Aaron  and  Hur  stayed  up 
the  hands  of  Moses.  Ex.  xvii.  12.  So  the  members 
s2  209 


8  PRArER  FOR  MINISTERS. 

of  the  church  are  to  hold  np  the  hands  of  their  pastor. 

One  way  of  doing  this  is  by  praying  for  him.  This  is 
duty;  has  it  been  performed?  does  not  conscience  bear 
witness  of  neglect  ?     Then  let  us  examine. 

II.  The  considerations  by  which  the  duty  is  en- 
forced— "  that  the  word  of  the  Lord  may  have  free 
course  and  be  glorified.'*^ 

1.  A  proper  regard  for  the  good  of  their  minister ^ 
should  induce  Christians  to  perform  this  duty.  Minis- 
ters are  men  of  like  passions  with  other  men.  They 
live  on  the  same  food,  and  their  souls  must  be  nourished 
by  the  same  means.  They  cannot  go  up  into  heaven 
and  live  through  the  week,  and  just  come  down  and 
spend  the  vSabbath  here  on  earth.  They  must  live  in 
the  world,  meet  the  trials  and  temptations  of  the  world, 
take  heed  to  their  spirit,  and  keep  their  hearts  with  all 
diligence.  Their  peculiar  circumstances,  trials,  duties, 
dangers,  and  difficulties,  render  a  large  measure  of 
grace  necessary;  and  they  must  live  near  to  God, 
or  be  ill  qualified  to  lead  on  "the  sacramental  host  of 
God's  elect.''  How  much  they  have  need  to  pray 
for  themselves!  And  *how  much  they  need  to  have 
others  pray  for  them !  The  Christian  who  has  any 
sympathy  for  his  pastor — who  has  any  adequate  con- 
ception of  his  responsibilities,  duties,  and  trials — will 
not  fail  to  pray  much  for  him.  I  will  not  ask  whether 
you  have  any  regard  for  your  pastor's  good — whether 
you  feel  interested  for  his  spiritual  welfare.  I  will 
only  say  that  such  concern  will  cause  you  to  pray 
often  and  much  for  him.  Brethren,  pray  for  us — for 
me ! 

2.  This  duty  is  enforced  by  a  regard  for  your  own 
good.  You  should  be  concerned  to  grow  in  grace. 
Soul-prosperity  is  what  you  should  most  earnestly 
and  anxiously  seek.  But  how  can  your  soul  prosper 
when  you  pray  not  for  him  who  is  to  be  the  instru- 
ment in  the  hand  of  God  of  watering  and  nourishing 
it?  Suppose  you  pray  not  for  him  in  your  closet,  nor 
in  your  family,  and  you  go  to  the  sanctuary  on  the 
Sabbath  without  offering  a  prayer  in  his  behalf;  how 
can  your  heart  be  prepared  to  hear  the  word  which 

210 


PRAYER  FOR  MINISTERS.  9 

he  may  speak  ?  Is  it  strange  that  you  should  think 
the  sermon  dry,  and  all  the  exercises  dull  and  unin- 
teresting ?  Is  it  strange  that  you  should  begin  to  find 
fault  with  him,  and  to  think  it  would  be  better  to  have 
some  one  else  in  his  place  ?  Let  it  be  remembered — 
write  it  upon  the  tablet  of  your  heart,  never  to  be 
obliterated  or  forgotten^ — that  you  cannot  have  a  good 
rninister  unless  you  pray  for  him.  Whether  a  minis- 
ter, no  matter  what  his  talents  or  acquirements,  shall  be 
good,  i.  e.  profitable  to  you,  depends  upon  your  prayer- 
fulness.  Without  your  prayers  for  him,  no  minister 
can  be  good  for  you,  because  you  cannot  be  prepared 
to  profit  by  his  labours.  Were  those  churches  which 
become  dissatisfied  with  their  pastors,  to  examine  them- 
selves, they  might  find  the  whole  cause  of  their  dissatis- 
faction in  their  own  want  of  pray  erf ulness.  And  were 
they  to  try  what  prayer  can  do,  they  might  find  it  the 
restorer  of  peace  and  confidence,  and  the  procurer  of 
rich  blessings  to  their  own  souls  and  the  souls  of  the  per- 
ishing around  them.  A  prayerless  people  must  be  a 
fault-finding  people ;  and  a  fault-finding  people  is  a 
prayerless  people.  They  who  possess  the  spirit  of 
prayer,  see  so  many  faults  in  themselves  that  they  are 
ready  to  make  due  allowance  for  the  failings  of  others. 
Besides  they  hear  to  be  benefitted,  and  not  as  critics, 
or  merely  to  be  pleased.  They  are  willing  to  hear  the 
truth,  the  simple,  unvarnished  truth ;  and  the  truth, 
from  whatever  source  it  comes,  does  them  good,  as  it 
doth  the  upright  in  heart.  They  are  prepared  to  re- 
ceive the  truth  in  the  love  of  it ;  and  if  they  receive  not 
advantage  from  the  services  of  the  sanctuary,  they 
are  quite  as  willing  to  suspect  the  difiiculty  to  be  in 
themselves,  as  in  the  preacher. 

3.  But  the  principal  consideration  by  which  the 
duty  is  enforced,  is,  the  success  of  the  gosj^el — ^-  that 
the  word  of  the  Lord  may  have  free  course  and  be 
glorified,"  that  success  may  attend  the  preaching  of 
the  word.  Here  is  implied  the  power  and  efficacy 
of  prayer.  Pray  for  us,  that  the  word  may  have  free 
course,  saith  Paul.  Prayer  for  ministers  gives  success 
to  the  gospel.     Now  the  success  of  the  gospel  depends 

211 


10  PRATER  FOR  MINISTERS. 

much  upon  the  state  of  the  Church^  But  how  miser- 
ab]e  must  be  the  state  of  that  church,  in  which  no  prayer 
is  offered  for  the  pastor !  How  can  the  gospel  have 
free  course  there  and  be  glorified  ?  The  truth  must 
freeze  as  soon  as  it  touches  the  cold  heart  of  the 
church,  and  fall  powerless  at  the  feet  of  sinners.  As 
to  any  immediate  results,  the  minister  might  almost  as 
well  preach  to  the  icebergs  of  the  arctic  ocean !  How 
chilling  to  his  feelings  to  think  that  no  prayer  is  offered 
for  him  !  How  depressing  the  thought  that  the  truth 
he  delivers  meets  no  response  in  the  hearts  of  his 
hearers ! 

The  success  of  the  gospel  depends  much  upon  the 
spirit,  the  zeal  and  devotion  of  the  minister.  But 
how  difficult  for  him  to  keep  alive  when  all  are  dead 
around  him !  And  how  can  a  people  expect  their 
minister  to  be  what  he  ought,  and  do  what  he  should, 
if  they  pray  not  for  him  ?  Is  not  his  heart  in  the 
hands  of  the  Lord  ?  Cannot  the  Lord  make  him  what 
he  ought  to  be,  and  enable  him  to  do  in  all  things 
what  he  should?  And  the  people,  too,  are  not 
their  hearts  in  God's  hand,  and  cannot  he  open  their 
hearts  to  receive  the  truth  and  give  the  preacher  access 
to  them?  How  earnestly,  then,  should  Christians 
pray  the  Lord  for  these  things !  See  why  Paul  so 
earnestly  requested  the  prayers  of  his  brethren — ^'  that 
the  word  of  the  Lord  may  have  free  course.''  Pray 
for  me,  that  utterance  may  be  given  unto  me,  that  I 
may  open  my  mouth  boldly,  fearing  neither  men  nor 
devils ;  that  God  would  open  unto  us  a  door  of  utter- 
ance, to  speak  the  mystery  of  Christ. 

The  success  of  the  gospel  depends  efficiently  upon 
the  Holy  Spirit.  This  is  given  in  answer  to  prayer. 
Luke  xi.  13.  For  this  God  will  be  inquired  of  E^ek. 
xxxvi.  37.  But  is  there  likely  to  be  prayer  for  the 
Spirit,  where  there  is  no  prayer  for  the  preacher  ?  To 
pray  for  the  Spirit  is  to  pray  that  he  may  pervade  the 
heart  of  the  speaker  and  of  the  hearers,  accompany  the 
word  to  the  heart,  and  lead  all  to  feel  its  power  and 
obey  it.  But  when  a  people  pray  not  for  their  pastor, 
they  cannot  be  concerned  for  the  outpouring  of  the 
212 


PRAYER  FOR  MINISTERS.  11 

Spirit,  nor  for  the  success  of  the  gospel.  Yet  its  suc- 
cess is  what  every  Christian  should  desire,  and  what 
every  genuine  child  of  God,  who  is  in  any  measure 
awake  to  his  duties  and  responsibihties,  must  desire. 
On  its  success  depends  the  prosperity  of  the  church 
and  the  salvation  of  souls.  And  are  such  consequen- 
ces connected  with  the  duty  enjoined  in  the  text? 
Then  by  what  more  weighty  consideration  could  it 
be  enforced  ?  The  salvation  of  precious  souls  may  be 
suspended  upon  your  prayei^s  for  your  pastor.  Shall 
the  duty  be  neglected  ?  and  shall  souls  perish  through 
this  neglect  ?  There  is  a  fearful  responsibility  here ; 
and  it  becomes  every  one  to  awake  from  his  slumbers 
and  call  upon  God.  As  you  regard  the  welfare  of 
Zion — as  you  desire  the  salvation  of  souls — as  you 
love  Christ  and  his  cause — "brethren,  pray  for  us,  that 
the  word  of  the  Lord  may  have  free  course,  and  be 
glorified !" 

In  conclusion,  I  remark : 

1.  If  there  were  more  prayer  for  ministers,  greater 
success  would  attend  the  preaching  of  the  gospel.  Let 
the  church  awake  to  this  duty,  and  the  work  of  God 
will  soon  revive ;  let  it  be  neglected,  and  Zion  will 
continue  a  desolation.     For, 

2,  The  success  of  the  gospel  is  as  really  promoted 
by  fervent  prayer,  as  by  faithful  preaching.  There 
must  be  preaching,  for  so  hath  the  Loj:d  ordained. 
There  must  also  be  prayer,  for  this  too  is  according 
to  his  appointment.  All  cannot  preach ;  but  all  can 
pray,  and  thus  promote  the  success  of  the  gospel  as 
really  as  if  they  were  preachers.  In  this  respect  every 
Christian  can  be  a  co-worker  together  with  God — a 
fellow  helper  to  the  truth.  1  Cor.  in.  9;  2  Cor.  vi.  1, 
3  ;  3  John  8.  How  great  the  privilege  !  How  gladly 
should  it  be  embraced  !  God  hears  prayer.  And  let 
it  be  observed  that  prayers  for  the  ministry,  both  at 
home  and  abroad,  tend  as  really  to  promote  the  suc- 
cess of  the  gospel,  as  those  which  are  offered  directly 
for  that  object.  Perhaps  we  are  doing  more  to  secure 
the  ultimate  triumph  of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  when  we 
are  praying  for  our  pastors  and  missionaries,  than 

213 


12  PRAYER  FOR  MINISTERS, 

when  we  are  praying  expressly  for  that  end  ;  because 
God  works  by  means;  he  employs  the  ministry  in 
making  known  the  gospel,  and  those  prayers  have  a 
happy  effect  upon  our  own  spirits ;  they  prepare  us  to 
receive  the  truth  from  the  lips  of  those  for  whom  we 
pray ;  they  lead  us  to  feel  our  own  responsibility,  and 
to  place  a  proper  estimate  upon  the  means  which 
God  has  appointed  for  the  conversion  of  the  world. 
These  prayers  if  sincere,  have  a  tendency  to  cause  us 
to  make  a  becoming  use  of  the  means  of  his  appoint- 
ment, while,  at  the  same  time,  we  are  constrained  to 
feel  our  dependence  for  success  upon  his  almighty 
arm.  Then  let  the  duty  come  home  to  every  heart, 
and  let  it  be  performed.  Brethren,  pray  for  us  in 
youT  closets,  in  your  families,  and  in  your  meetings 
for  prayer.  Let  every  Saturday  night  be  observed 
as  a  season  of  prayer  for  your  pastor.  Let  every 
member  of  the  church,  let  every  Christian,  then,  in- 
tercede with  God  in  behalf  of  him  who  speaks  to  you 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  of  all  the  ministers  of 
Christ.  In  the  morning  of  the  Sabbath,  too,  let 
them  have  a  large  place  in  your  supplications.  When 
about  to  go  up  to  the  house  of  the  Lord,  remember,  it 
is  an  earthen  vessel  to  which  the  treasure  of  the  gos- 
pel is  committed,  and  retire  to  seek  God's  presence 
and  blessing  for  him,  that  your  own  soul  may  be  re- 
freshed, and  that  success  may  attend  the  word  of  the 
Lord — that  it  may  have  free  course — run  from  heart 
to  heart — and  be  glorified  in  the  conversion  and  salva- 
tion of  perishing  sinners ! 


THE    END. 


214 


■, 


PLEA  FOR 


PRESBYTERIANISM. 


BY  THE  REV.  ROBERT  DAVDSON,  D.  D. 

PA3T0E  OF  THE  FIRST  PHESBYTERIAN  CHURCH,  NEW  BRUNSWICK.  N. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
TRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION 


315 


PLEA  FOR  PRESBYTERIANISM. 


PRELIMINARY  REMARKS. 

Although  all  subjects  are  not  equally  important,  yet  each 
is  valuable  in  its  place.  While  it  would  be  highly  repre- 
hensible to  make  Church  government  a  habitual  theme  of 
Sabbath  discourse,  it  is  every  way  proper,  upon  suitable 
occasions,  when  the  public  attention  is  directed  to  the  sub- 
ject, and  when  we  may-hope  for  a  patient  and  favourable 
hearing,  to  set  forth  the  arguments  by  which  our  peculiar 
tenets  are  defended. 

Some  are  Presbyterians  through  the  force  of  education, 
or  the  accident  of  relationship;  others,  because  they  have 
received  their  religious  impressions  from  some  preacher  of 
this  denomination  ;  others,  on  account  of  personal  predilec- 
tions ;  and  others,  because  they  are  persuaded  that  this  is 
the  best  and  most  Scriptural  system.  In  all  the  sects,  pro- 
bably, it  is  the  smallest  number  that  have  joined  from  pure 
conviction  of  being  right ;  otherwise,  it  would  be  difhcult 
to  account  for  so  much  indifference  to  sectarian  distinc- 
tions, and  so  many  instances  of  capricious  change  of  church 
relations. 

But  it  is  proper  that  we  should  know  whether  we  are 
right  or  wrong  in  our  ecclesiastical  preferences :  that  if  we 
are  in  error,  we  may  repair  it ;  or  if  satisfied  that  we  are 
right,  we  may  firmly  maintain  our  ground,  and  defend  the 
church  of  our  choice  against  the  objections  of  our  assailants. 
There  are  some  claims  set  up  in  contradistiction  to  ours, 
which,  if  conceded,  would  annihilate  our  orders,  render  in- 
valid our  sacraments,  and  take  away  every  revealed  hope 
of  salvation.  Since  consequences  so  important  are  in- 
volved in  the  decision,  and  since  all  truth  is,  and  should 
be,  in  order  to  godliness,  it  becomes  us  to  inquire  into  our 
T  217         3 


4  A    PLEA    FOK    PRESBYTERIANISM. 

duty.  "  Obey  them  that  have  the  rule  over  you,"  is  the 
command  in  one  place.  "  We  beseech  you,  brethren,"  is 
the  expostulation  in  another,  ^'  to  know  them  which  labour 
among  you,  and  are  over  you  in  the  Lord,  and  to  esteem 
them  very  highly  in  love  for  their  work's  sake.  These 
are  cogent  admonitions  to  pay  due  respect  and  obedience 
to  the  regularly  appointed  officers  of  the  church,  and  in 
order  to  a  compliance,  we  should  distinctly  understand  who 
the  scriptural  officers  of  the  church  are.  Some  insist  that 
Prelates  have  exclusive  authority  to  rule  and  govern  ;  others, 
going  to  the  opposite  extreme,  are  equally  positive  that  we 
must  be  subordinate  to  the  whole  company  of  the  brethren. 
Should  we  be  convinced  that  either  of  these  is  right,  the 
apostolic  admonition  binds  us  to  obey  the  Prelate  in  the 
one  case,  the  brotherhood  in  the  other.  Should  we  reject 
both  extremes,  and  choose  the  middle  ground  of  a  repre- 
sentative government,  and  the  parity  of  the  clergy,  we 
should  be  able  to  give  a  reasonable  account  of  the  steps  by 
which  we  arrive  at  this  conclusion. 

.  Dismissing  all  other  considerations  as  extraneous  to  the 
legitimate  object  before  us,  we  have  a  right  to  insist  on  con- 
fining the  inquiry  to  the  New  Testament  alone,  as  the  sole 
infallible  rule  of  practice  as  well  as  of  faith.  Lest,  how- 
ever, it  should  be  supposed  that  we  shrink  from  appealing 
to  other  species  of  argument  through  fear,  we  hesitate  not 
openly  to  aver,  in  the  outset,  that  we  have  yet  to  learn  the 
argument  that  can  inspire  us  with  fear. 

It  may  be  well,  therefore,  before  proceeding  to  our  main 
defence  from  Scripture,  to  touch  briefly  on  a  few  prelimi- 
nary points,  more  for  the  purpose  of  clearing  our  way,  than 
of  formal  discussion. 

I.  However  firmly  we  may  advocate  our  position,  we  do 
so  in  perfect  charity  toward  those  who  differ  from  us  in 
opinion.  Happily  ours  is  a  system  which  does  not  require, 
for  its  own  establishment,  the  unchurching  of  every  other 
denomination  of  Christians,  as  the  Ottoman  Sultans  never 
think  themselves  secure  till  they  have  put  out  of  the  way 
all  their  brethren.  We  must  never  lose  sight  of  the  distinc- 
tion between  what  is  essential  to  the  being,  and  what  is 
essential  to  the  perfection  of  a  church.  With  such  as 
conscientiously  prefer  some  different  mode,  and  who  assume 
for  their  favourite  system  no  more  than  we  assume  for 
ours,  a  nearer  approach  to  scriptural  order  and  perfec- 
tion, we  have  no  quarrel.  If  they  show  no  intention  to 
218 


A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTERIANISM.  5 

Stand  aloof  and  expatriate  us  from  the  city  of  God,  we,  on 
our  part,  cordially  desire  to  cultivate  amicable  relations 
and  intercourse  with  "  all  them  that  call  on  the  same 
Lord,  both  theirs  and  ours."  We  delight  to  regard  all  the 
various  sects  that  hold  the  fundamentals  of  evangelical  doc- 
trine, as  so  many  branches  of  the  one  great  common  family 
of  which  Jesus  is  the  head.  We  may  deem  it  our  duty  to 
contest  this  or  that  system,  but  we  disavow  all  enmity  to 
the  persons  who  profess  it.  We  desire  to  honour  their 
virtues  and  emulate  their  piety,  in  whatever  pale  they  may 
be  found;  and  to  recognize  and  love  the  image  of  our 
blessed  Saviour,  whosoever  he  may  be  that  bears  it.  Far 
be  it  from  us  to  offend  against  charity,  or  send  her  back  in 
tears  to  her  native  heaven !  We  would  reverence  and 
cherish  that  divine  charity,  which,  while  it  "  rejoiceth  in  the 
truth,"  is  yet  the  very  embodying  of  love;  the  fountain  of 
benignity,  generosity,  and  good  will ;  which  discountenances 
intolerance;  which  breathes  universal  kindness  ;  which  in- 
spires compassion  and  sympathy ;  which  composes  differ- 
ences and  reconciles  strifes;  which  is  not  easily  provoked, 
and  is  ready  to  forgive ;  and  which  soothes  the  sorrows 
even  of  its  enemies. 

We  have  been,  indeed,  grossly  misrepresented  and  vili- 
fied, from  the  days  of  Pope  to  the  present  hour ;  but  in  spite 
of  all  the  reproaches  cast  upon  us,  of  bigotry  and  exclu- 
siveness,  ours  is  really  not  a  whit  less  catholic  or  liberal 
in  its  spirit  than  any  other  of  the  sects  of  Christendom. 
For  the  proof  of  this,  we  appeal  not  only  to  our  uniform 
practice,  but  to  the  formal  and  explicit  statements  of  our 
printed  standards,  which  teach  "that  there  are  truths  and 
forms,  with  respect  to  which  men  of  good  characters  and 
principles  may  differ.  And  in  all  these,  they  think  it  the 
duty,  both  of  private  Christians  and  societies,  to  exercise 
mutual  forbearance  towards  each  other."  And  ao-ain,  that 
in  full  consistenc}^  with  our  own  belief,  "  we  embrace,  in 
the  spirit  of  charity,  those  Christians  who  differ  from  us, 
in  opinion  or  in  practice,  on  these  subjects."  From  these 
(extracts,  a  bigot  is  clearly  seen  to  be  out  of  his  place  in  the 
Presbyterian  community.  The  standards  which  he  praises 
frown  upon  him,  and  disdain  the  undue  exaltation  to  which 
he  would  raise  them.  Learn  hence  the  candour  of  those 
who  aim  to  fasten  on  us  the  odious  charge  of  exclusiveness. 
Such  an  accusation  only  betrays  ignorance  of  our  system 

i  *  219 


6  A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTER  I ANISM. 

and  of  our  customs.  The  Presbyterian,  has  often  been  a 
persecuted,  but  never  a  persecuting,  church. 

II.  As  far  as  the  utility  of  a  succession  is  involved,  we 
have  it.  We  are  no  upstart  party,  generated,  like  the  rep- 
tiles of  the  Nile,  from  the  muddy  deposites  of  ignorance 
and  presumption ;  but  we  are  at  liberty  to  boast  as  loudly 
as  any,  should  it  so  please  us,  of  a  regular  descent  from 
the  Apostles.  Tracing  our  succession  through  the  line  of 
Presbyters,  we  may  defy  any  one  to  find  a  flaw  in  our  title, 
back  to  the  Reformation ;  and  prior  to  that  period  we  share 
the  common  condition  of  all  that  are  now  Protestant 
Churches.  Indeed,  we  occupy  a  safer  position  than  the 
devotees  of  Prelacy ;  we  stand  upon  a  broader  basis  than 
they ;  for  while  they  restrict  themselves  to  a  few  Bishops, 
we  have  the  wide  and  unlimited  range  of  the  whole  body 
of  Presbyters.  In  this  range,  too,  we  are  at  liberty  to  in- 
clude the  Bishops,  for  we  feel  no  more  difficulty  in  regard- 
ing them  also  as  Presbyters,  than  Episcopalians  feel  in  re- 
garding the  Pope  simply  as  the  Bishop  of  Rome.  A  usur- 
pation of  new  powers  by  no  means  annihilates  such  as  ex- 
isted before. 

At  the  same  time,  while  our  ecclesiastical  genealogy  is  to 
ourselves  so  satisfactory,  we  take  care  never  to  elevate  it 
to  an  undue  rank.  We  hold  that  the  succession  of  o/r/eris 
infinitely  less  important  than  the  succession  of  doctrine. 
Therefore  we  would  never  hesitate  to  abandon  a  corrupt 
communion  which,  like  Rome,  should  "  make  shipwreck 
of  the  faith,"  in  favour  of  any  society,  whatever  its  lack  of 
order,  that  should  be  found  to  maintain  sound  doctrine.  It 
was  the  succession  of  sound  doctrine  that  held  the  highest 
place  in  the  Apostle  Paul's  esteem.  It  was  the  truth  that 
saves,  not  ofhcial  dignity  that  inflates,  the  careful  trans- 
mission of  which  he  impressed  upon  Timothy  when  he  said, 
"  The  things  that  thou  hast  heard  of  me  among  many 
witnesses,  the  same  commit  thou  to  faithful  men,  who  shall 
be  able  to  teach  others  also."  And  when  he  exhorts  the 
Thessalonians  to  esteem  those  that  are  over  them,  it  is 
"for  their, work's  sake,"  So  far  from  unduly  exalting  the 
administration  of  the  ordinances,  he,  on  the  contrary, 
thanks  God  that  he  had  baptized  but  two  or  three  of  the  Cor- 
inthians ;  "  for,"  says  he,  full  of  the  transcendent  importance 
of  the  higher  duty  of  preaching,  "  Christ  sent  me  not  to 
baptize,  but  to  preach  the  gospclP  Could  any  attestation 
be  more  explicit  as  to  the  inferior  relation  of  the  sacra- 
220 


A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTERIANISM.  7 

merits,  and   the  immeasurably  greater  value  of  doctrinal 
truth  above  mere  ecclesiastical  order  ? 

The  ordinances  of  God's  house  are  valueless  save  only 
on  account  of  the  spiritual  benefits  which  they  convey. 
To  secure  these  blessings,  attendance  on  the  celebration 
of  public  worship  is  ancillary ;  the  ordinances  themselves 
hold  but  a  secondary  rank  :  they  are  not  the  final  object  ; 
they  are  means  of  grace  only.  As  means  of  grace  they 
are  to  be  prized  and  improved,  for  the  sake  of  the  grace  of 
which  they  may  be  the  channel.  To  exalt  them  to  the  first 
rank,  or  to  repose  upon  an  operation  or  an  administrator, 
as  the  sole  guarantee  of  validity,  is  as  preposterous  as  to 
prefer  the  scaffolding  to  the  house,  or  the  casket  to  the 
jewel  it  enshrines.  But  the  well  instructed  mind  rests  not 
in  mere  churchmanship.  While  it  duly  honours  the  means 
of  grace,  it  loves  them  chiefly  for  the  ultimate  benefits 
which  they  confer;  and  like  David,  longs  to  "  dwell  in  the 
house  of  the  Lord,"  in  order  to  gain  accurate  views  of  the 
divine  character,  and  of  its  own  duty,  "  to  behold  the 
beauty  of  the  Lord  and  to  inquire  in  his  temple." 

May  not  the  stress  that  is  laid  on  this  doctrine  of  succes- 
sion, be  traced  to  a  real,  and  in  some  instances  unconscious, 
belief  in  a  certain  sacramental  efficacy  ;  some  mystical, 
occult,  talismanic,  superstitious  virtue,  accompanying  the  ^.. 
administration  of  baptism  and  the  Lord's  supper?  While  wf, 
the  simple  truth  is,  as  our  Confession  of  Faith  testifies,  that 
the  efficacy  of  a  sacrament  depends  entirely  upon  the  work 
of  the  Spirit  and  the  worthiness  of  the  receiver. 

After  all  that  has  been  said  and  written  about  succession, 
its  value,  both  as  a  theory  and  a  fact,  has  been  questioned 
by  men  of  great  sagacity  and  learning,  whose  opinions  are 
•entitled  to  consideration.  As  to  the  theory,  it  has  been 
deemed  very  questionable  whether  Christ  meant,  by  the 
promise  of  his  perpetual  presence,  any  thing  more  than  that 
the  truth  should  never  be  permitted  to  become  completely 
extinct ;  that  however  particular  churches  or  ministers 
might  become  corrupt,  there  should  always  be  some,  like 
the  seven  thousand  unknown  to  Elijah,  who  would  love  and 
cherish  the  precious  deposite.  The  candlestick  might  be 
removed  from  the  churches  of  Asia,  but  the  pure  light 
should  burst  forth  from  some  other,  and  perhaps  unexpected 
quarter.  In  Milner's  excellent  church  history  you  will  find 
an  attempt  to  trace  just  such  a  succession  or  perpetuation 
of  evangelical  truth.  As  to  the  fact,  no  less  a  personage 
'A^2  221 


8  A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTESIANISM. 

than  the  archbishop  of  Dublin,  the  most  accomplished 
logician  living,  gives  it  as  his  opinion,  that  "  there  is  not  a 
minister  in  all  Christendom,  who  is  able  to  trace  up,  with 
any  approach  to  certainty,  his  own  spiritual  pedigree." 

III.  If  piety,  and  good  works  as  its  fruit,  be  made  the 
test,  while  we  would  be  far  from  boasting,  yet  neither  need 
we  as  a  church  hang  our  heads.  And  as  it  is  reasonable 
to  believe  that  the  God  of  truth  will  not  set  his  seal  to  a  lie, 
success  in  converting  souls,  and  the  being  replenished  with 
Christian  graces,  so  as  to  be  the  song  of  the  drunkard  and 
the  by-word  of  the  worldly,  and  pre-eminently  hated  and 
abused  by  the  infidel,  may  be  interpreted  as  no  uncertain 
sign  that  we  are  not  altogether  forsaken  or  disowned  of  the 
great  Head  of  the  Church. 

This  mode  of  argument  has  indeed  been  sneered  at  as  in- 
conclusive ;  yet  an  apostle  hesitated  not  to  rely  on  its  va- 
lidity. Paul  needed  no  letters  of  commendation  to  the  Co- 
rinthians; "ye,"  said  he,  "ye  are  our  epistle,  known  and 
read  of  all  men  ;  the  epistle  of  Christ,  ministered  by  us, 
written  not  with  ink,  but  with  the  Spirit  of  the  living  God. 
.  .  .  Are  ye  not  my  work  in  the  Lord  7  If  I  be  not  an 
apostle  unto  others,  yet  doubtless  I  am  to  you  ;  for  the  seal 
of  mine  apostleship  are  ye  in  the  Lord." 

IV.  If  the  early  Fathers  are  appealed  to,  we  shrink  not 
from  the  scrutiny.  It  is  true  we  would  not  voluntarily  cite 
them,  for  various  reasons.  They  are  inconsistent  with 
themselves,  and  stuffed  with  puerile  conceits.  Take  an 
example  or  two,  if  not  the  most  apposite,  at  least  such  as 
now  most  readily  occur  to  mind. 

There  is  Clement  of  Alexandria,  who  discovers  the  mys- 
tery of  Christ's  rectitude  in  the  upright  letter  which  com- 
mences the  name  Jesus  ;  the  initials  of  the  same  name  he 
finds  accompanied  with  the  sign  of  the  cross  in  the  num- 
ber of  Abraham's  servants  ;  the  ten  commandments  he  de- 
tects in  David's  instrument  of  ten  strings.  And  there  is 
Augustine,  too,  playing  on  the  letters  of  Christ's  name  ;  and 
deducing  a  strong  recommendation  of  the  Sybil's  verses 
from  their  amounting  to  twenty-seven,  which  make  a  trine 
fully  quadrate  and  solid,  for  three  times  three  are  nine, 
and  three  times  nine  are  twenty-seven.  Again,  he  finds  a 
mysterious  analogy  between  the  proportions  of  Noah's  ark 
and  Christ's  human  body  ;  and  to  perfect  the  type,  he  re- 
gards the  window  in  the  ark  as  marvellously  corresponding 
to  the  wound  in  the  Saviour's  side.  He  tells,  moreover, 
222 


A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTERIANISM.  9 

with  the  utmost  gravity,  amazing  stories  of  miracles  per- 
formed in  his  own  time  in  the  various  churches,  which  con- 
stituted in  his  opinion  the  most  crowning  and  unanswer- 
able evidence  to  the  pagan  world  of  the  truth  of  the  Chris- 
tian religion. 

So  much  for  the  puerile  conceits  of  the  fathers.  Of 
their  discrepancies,  which  render  their  testimony  very  un- 
safe as  to  plain  matters  of  fact,  the  following  may  suffice. 
Origen  represents  Peter  to  have  been  bishop  of  Antioch  ; 
Epiphanius,  of  Rome,  conjointly  with  Paul.  Eusebius  and 
Jerome  both  affirm  in  one  place  that  Peter  first  occupied 
the  See  of  Rome,  yet  elsewhere  each  contradicts  himself 
by  placing  Peter  in  the  See  of  Antioch.  Tertullian  affirms 
that  Clement  was  the  first  bishop  of  Rome  after  Peter  ; 
while  Irenteus  is  equally  positive  that  Linus  was  the  first, 
Anacletus  next,  and  Clement  not  till  third  in  order.  Euse- 
bius makes  Ignatius  the  immediate  successor  of  Peter  at 
Antioch ;  Jerome  describes  him  as  the  third.  Eusebius 
again  contradicts  himself  by  stating  in  another  place  that 
Euodius  immediately  succeeded  Peter.  Here  we  have 
Origen  contradicting  Epiphanius ;  Tertullian  contradicting 
Irena3us  ;  Eusebius'  contradicting  Jerome  ;  and  Eusebius 
and  Jerome  both  contradicting  themselves.  Which  of  all 
these  discrepant  statements  are  we  to  adopt?  On  whom 
shall  we  rely  to  learn  the  unbroken  line  of  succession  ? 
And  lastly,  (a  question  by  no  means  the  least  important  of 
all  that  might  be  asked,)  how  can  *we  depend  on  the  sub- 
sequent links  as  unexceptionable,  when  so  much  uncer- 
tainty rests  upon  the  first,  the  very  starting  point  1 

In  truth,  we  may  not  unreasonably  endorse  the  strono- 
language  of  Milton,  when  he  said,  "  Whatsoever  time,  or 
the  heedless  hand  of  blind  chance,  hath  drawn  down  from 
of  old  to  this  present,  in  her  huge  drag-net,  whether  fish 
or  sea- weed,  shells  or  shrubs,  unpicked,  unchosen,  those 
are  the  fathers." 

But  the  testimony  of  the  apostolic  fathers  is  far  from  con- 
demning us,  whatever  else  may  be  said  of  it.  Even  Icrna- 
tius,  whom  our  opponents  place  on  the  witness-stand  with 
such  shouts  of  triumph,  seems  to  us  to  speak  very  much 
like  a  Presbyterian.  When  he  insists  on  the  presence  of 
the  bishop  as  necessary  in  every  case  of  baptism  and  the 
Lord's  supper  ;  on  nothing  being  done  without  his  know- 
ledge and  consent ;  on  his  inquiring  into  all  the  church- 
members  by  name ;  on  his  being  the  guardian  of  the  poor 

223 


10  A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTERIANISM. 

■widows ;  and  on  his  not  overlooking  the  men-servants  and 
maid-servants  ; — all  this  appears  to  us  totally  inapplicable 
to  any  but  the  pastor  of  a  single  congregation — the  bishop, 
not  of  a  diocese,  but  of  a  parish.  How  can  it  be  possible 
for  the  bishop  of  an  extensive  diocese,  the  different  parishes 
of  which  he  visits  but  at  intervals,  to  acquire  a  personal 
knowledge,  not  only  of  the  heads  of  families  in  each  parish, 
however  large,  but,  in  addition,  of  each  of  their  domestics; 
to  say  nothing  of  requiring  him  to  be  present  whenever  a 
child  is  baptized,  or  the  Lord's  supper  administered  1 

To  Ignatius  we  may  add  Jerome.  Jerome  says  ex- 
plicitly that  in  the  beginning  of  the  Church,  bishop  and 
presbyter  were  the  same ;  afterwards  one  was  chosen  to 
preside  over  the  rest,  as  a  remedy  for  schism.  "Let  the 
bishops  know,"  he  adds,  "  that  they  are  superior  to  presby- 
ters rather  by  custom  than  by  an  actual  appointment  of 
the  Lord. 

Thus  we  see  that  it  is  not  fear  of  the  early  writers  of  the 
church  that  makes  us  sparing  in  our  references  to  them. 
When  fairly  interpreted,  we  have  as  good  a  right  to  claim 
them,  as  any  one  else.  But  why  dwell  on  the  fathers, 
when  we  have  those  to  whom  they  themselves  looked  as 
fathers?  I  mean  the  Apostles  and  the  Evangelists.  Why 
not  resort  at  once  to  the  Scriptures,  which  must  ever  be  our 
last  appeal  ? 

Besides,  we  object  to  Ihe  principle.  We  are  told  that 
we  must  trace  back  century  after  century  till  we  reach  the 
Apostles'  days,  and  see  if  we  can  verify  the  succession  with 
which  we  started.  This  is  reversing  the  order  of  truth  and 
fairness,  and  it  makes  no  allowance  for  the  changes  which 
occur  in  the  use  of  language.  Hence  some  persons,  when- 
ever they  see  the  word  bishop,  imagine  a  grand  dignitary 
of  Constantino's  time,  with  mitre  and  crozier,  seated  on  his 
lordly  throne.  If  we  must  adopt  as  apostolic  usage,  every 
thing  which  we  find  in  the  second  century,  then  we  must 
receive  trine  baptisms,  milk  and  honey  in  addition  to  the 
baptismal  water,  oblations  for  the  dead,  and  the  super- 
stitious crossing  of  ourselves  at  every  step  we  take.  And 
beside  all  this,  we  must  adopt  the  rule  of  celibacy,  which 
very  early  crept  in  with  its  monstrous  train  of  abuses.  All 
these  things  are  found,  in  germ  or  in  efflorescence,  before 
the  close  of  the  second  century.  "  To  the  law  and  the  tes- 
timony 1  If  they  speak  not  according  to  these,  it  is  because 
there  is  no  truth  in  them." 
224 


A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTERIANISM.  11 

V.  It  has  been  sometimes  insinuated  that  the  early  Re- 
formers would  gladly  have  retained  the  order  of  Prelates, 
could  they  have  had  them,  and  that  they  adopted  the  Pres- 
byterian system  from  necessity.  It  is  an  unworthy  and  an 
unfounded  insinuation.  There  were  some  bishops  both  in 
France  and  Bohemia,  who  were  favourable  to  the  spread  of 
evangelical  principles  ;  though  it  is  not  to  be  denied  they 
were  the  smallest  number.  So  far  from  relinquishing  epis 
copal  government  from  necessity  alone,  or  even  courting 
the  few  prelates  who  were  friendly  to  their  views,  the  Re- 
formers insisted  that  such  as  might  be  disposed  to  join  their 
company,  must  first  renounce  their  Popish  ordination,  as  in- 
vaUd  and  unlawful.  Stalwart  John  Knox  was  offered  a 
high  bishopric  by  Edward  VI.,  which  he  refused  from  con- 
scientious motives ;  and  he  was  greatly  displeased  at  the 
acceptance  of  the  tidchan*  bishops,  who  were  appointed  by 
the  Scottish  regency  to  save  the  old  ecclesiastical  revenues. 
The  Scottish  church  could  have  had  bishops  repeatedly,  but 
as  pertinaciously  rejected  them ;  and  three,  the  bishops  of 
Orkney,  Galway,  and  Caithness,  subsequently  resigned 
their  mitres,  and  took  their  seats  in  the  General  Assem- 
bly as  simple  presbyters. 

But  grant,  as  to  a  great  extent  it  must  be  granted,  that 
the  Reformation  would  have  been  stifled,  had  it  been  left  to 
Episcopal  nursing;  and  that  in  Scotland,  in  Germany,  in 
Switzerland,  in  Sweden,  in  Denmark,  the  prelates  resisted 
till  they  were  driven  from  their  rich  sees  ;  what  a  sad 
commentary  is  it  on  the  tendency  of  the  office  !  Merthinks, 
were  I  a  prelatist,  I  would  preserve  a  discreet  silence  as  to 
an  argument  based  on  facts  so  disreputable  to  the  order. 

What !  when  all  Europe  was  waking  up,  and  clergy  and 
people  demanded  the  unadulterated  gospel  and  a  free  sal- 
vation, the  race  of  bishops  were  the  chief  opppsers  of  the 
glorious  reformation !  Dissolved  in  luxury  and  voluptuous- 
ness ;  addicted  to  joviality  and  pomp  ;  oppressing  the  peo- 
ple subjected  to  their  rule,  a  rule  frequently  purchased  by 
simony  ;  squandering  on  their  vices  the  funds  which  the 
piety  of  former  ages  had  consecrated  to  the  poor  ;  ignorant 
of  all  useful  learning;  in  nothing  to  be  distinguished  from 
secular  nobles  save  by  their  titles  ;  resisting  with  desperate 
energy  the  restoration  of  the  pure  word  and  worship  of 

*  A  tukhan  is  a  calfs  skin,  stuffed  with  straw,  set  up  to  make  the  cow 
give  her  milk  freely.    See  McCrie's  Lile  of  Knox,  p.  321. 

^25 


12  A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTEEIANISM. 

God  ;  and  eager  to  put  back  the  shadow  ten  degrees  upon 
the  dial  of  the  world's  salvation  ; — were  these  the  men  to 
be  honoured  as  the  successors  of  the  apostles  1  Apostate 
were  they  rather  than  apostolic.  Paul  would  have  scouted 
them  ;  John  would  have  frowned  as  indignantly  on  them 
as  he  did  on  the  ambitious  Diotrephes ;  Peter  would  have 
rebuked  them  with  withering  invective,  for  lording  it  over 
God's  heritage  instead  of  being  ensamples  to  the  flock. 

Is  the  succession  of  such  mystic  value,  that  those  noble 
spirits,  whom  God  raised  up  to  save  his  Church  from  ex- 
tinction, must  crouch  at  the  feet  of  such  wretches,  nor  stir 
till  their  consent  and  approbation  could  be  obtained]  Must 
the  Bride  of  Christ  pine  away  of  atrophy,  while  there  are 
both  balm  and  physicians  in  Gilead,  because  her  customary 
advisers  are  "  forgers  of  lies,  physicians  of  no  value  ?" 
Away  with  such  preposterous  notions !  And  away  with  the 
whole  tribe  from  the  face  of  the  earth,  if  they  place  them- 
selves in  the  attitude  of  hostility  to  Christ  and  his  pure 
gospel ! 

"  Necessity,"  indeed  !  "  The  Reformers  would  gladly 
have  retained  bishops  in  the  church  if  they  could  have  got 
them  !" — Why,  the  Reformers  well  knew  that  if  they  did 
retain  them,  they  would  prove  a  curse  to  the  church,  clogs 
on  the  chariot  of  salvation ;  as  they  have  proved  in  Eng- 
land, where  they  were  retained  entirely  through  monar- 
chical jealousy,  and  in  consequence  of  which  the  Church 
of  England,  as  by  law  established,  has  never  been  but  half 
reformed,  and  of  late  shows  strong  symptoms  of  nauseating 
even  that.  The  Reformers  knew  too  well  the  tendency  of 
power  lodged  in  the  hands  of  an  irresponsible  individual, 
voluntarily  to  submit  their  necks  again  to  the  yoke  of  bon- 
dage :  and  rather  than  do  so,  they  would  have  preferred 
the  bold  alternative  of  renouncing  the  validity  of  all  orders 
derived  through  the  Church  of  Rome,  and  throwing  them- 
selves upon  an  extraordinary  call  to  reorganize  the  church 
anew  on  evangelical  principles. 

VI.  Should  the  advantages  of  a  Liturgy,  &c.,  be  dwelt 
upon,  we  have  only  to  say  that  that  touches  not  the  ques- 
tion in  hand  ;  for  some  Presbyterian  Churches  use  forms 
of  public  worship,  and  all  permit  premeditated  prayers ; 
while  they  reprobate  presumptuous  and  crude  effusions. 

VII.  If  congeniality  with  the  spirit  of  republicanism  be 
mentioned,  there  we  have  a  decided  advantage.  It  was  this 
that  drew  down  the  ire  of  the  Jameses  and  the  Charleses, 

22G 


A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTERIANISM.  13 

and  gave  rise  to  the  famous  royal  exclamation,  "  No  Bishop, 
no  King !"  That  prelacy  and  monarchy,  parity  and  repub- 
licanism, respectively  harmonize  and  are  congenial,  is  a 
fact  too  obvious  to  be  denied,  and  it  is  accordingly  admit- 
ted by  most  prelatists  themselves.  The  relative  positions 
of  the  bulk  of  the  Episcopal  clergy,  and  of  tne  entire  Pres- 
byterian clergy,  on  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolution, 
furnish  a  striking  comment  on  the  remark. 

VIII.  If  efficiency  of  jurisdiction  be  required,  our  system 
can  bear  comparison  with  any.  As  for  prelacy,  it  is  a 
grand  failure,  in  regard  to  all  that  its  advocates  claim  for 
it  in  the  way  of  conservative  influence.  It  signally  failed 
to  prevent  the  schism  of  the  Montanists  in  the  second  cen- 
tury ;  of  the  Donatists  and  Novatians  in  the  third  ;  of  the 
Arians  in  the  fourth  ;  of  the  Nestorians  in  the  fifth  ;  of  the 
Lollards,  the  Waldenses,  the  Albigenses,  the  Bohemians, 
only  quelled  at  last  by  brute  force  and  armed  troops  ;  of  the 
Lutherans  in  Germany  ;  of  the  Zuinghans  in  Switzerland  ; 
of  the  Independents  and  the  VVesleyans  in  England.  And 
the  present  condition  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  both  in  Eng- 
land and  America,  shows,  as  a  late  writer  has  forcibly  said, 
that  there  may  be  schism  without  separation,  as  truly  as 
there  may  be  separation  without  schism.  Neither  has  the 
Episcopate  exhibited  greater  virtue  in  restraining  doctrinal 
errors;  witness  Romanism,  Arianism,  Arminianism,  So- 
cinianism,  Universalism,  Pelagianism,  Swedenborgianism, 
and  Puseyism,  fostered  with  impunity  under  the  protecting 
shadow  of  Episcopal  jurisdiction.  Mr.  Newman  assures 
us,  that  in  the  Church  of  England  exist  at  present  differ- 
ences as  great  as  those  which  separate  it  from  Greece  or 
Rome ;  and  that  hardly  ten  or  twenty  neighbouring  clergy- 
men can  be  found  who  agree  together,  not  merely  on  the 
non-essentials  of  religion,  but  as  to  its  elementary  and  ne- 
cessary doctrines;  or  whether  indeed  there  are  any  such 
doctrines  at  all,  or  any  distinct  and  definite  faith  required 
for  salvation  !  !  ! 

If  we  inquire  into  the  security  of  private  rights  against 
injustice  and  oppression,  where  will  you  find  such  an  ample 
shield  thrown  over  the  rights  of  the  humblest  individual, 
as  in  our  complete  system  of  appeals  ?  If  dissatisfied  with 
the  judgment  of  the  church  session,  an  appeal  may  be 
carried  to  the  Presbytery,  thence  to  the  Synod,,  and  finally 
to  the  highest  court  of  all,  the  General  Assembly,  in  which, 
if  any  where,  an  impartial  decision  may  be  expected  from 

2  227 


14  A    PLEA    FOK    PRESBYTER! ANISM. 

the  collected  wisdom  of  the  whole  Church.  Where  is  the 
arrogant  dignitary  among  us,  who  can  silence  the  hum- 
blest layman,  and  say  to  him  as  he  would  to  a  school  boy, 
"  Sit  down,  sir  !  not  a  word  !" — or  with  his  regal  veto 
nullify  the  recorded  decisions  of  the  whole  ecclesiastical 
body ! 

And  where  is  there  such  a  judicious  support  furnished  to 
a  pastor  in  the  discharge  of  his  various  duties,  as  is  found 
in  a  bench  of  ciders  to  aid  him  in  spiritual  things,  and  a 
company  of  deacons  to  distribute  impartially  the  funds  of 
the  Church  ?  When  a  necessity  arises  for  discipline,  or 
some  decided  measure  for  the  welfare  of  the  Church,  a 
minister  in  other  sects  stands  alone ;  he  must  venture  all 
on  his  own  responsibility.  A  man  must  have  more  than 
ordinary  courage  to  step  forward  to  the  discharge  of  an  un- 
pleasant duty  single  handed  ;  and  accordingly  in  such  con- 
nexions discipline  is  undeniably  relaxed.  But  happy  is  the 
Presbyterian  pastor,  who  in  every  emergency  has  a  ses- 
sion, composed  of  grave,  judicious,  and  respectable  men, 
chosen  by  the  congregation  themselves  as  their  own  repre- 
sentatives, who  will  advise  him  with  their  counsel,  stand 
by  him  in  difficulty,  and  share  the  responsibility  of  every 
act !  Happy,  I  repeat,  is  the  pastor,  who  feels  himself  sup- 
ported by  a  wise,  discreet,  devoted,  energetic  eldership  ! 
And  happy  the  church,  blessed  with  such  an  oversight ; 
saved  equally  from  the  extreme,  on  the  one  hand,  of  arbi- 
trary oi)pression  from  the  unchecked  will  of  a  single 
ruler,  and  on  the  other,  from  the  turbulence  and  caprice 
of  a  hundred. 

Enough  has  been  said,  to  show  that  whatever  position 
be  taken,  in  the  first  place  we  have  nothing  to  fear  from  the 
strictest  scrutiny  ;  and  in  the  second,  that  after  all,  the  last 
appeal  must  be  made  to  Scripture.  The  Bible  contains  the 
religion  of  Protestants. 


223 


A   PLEA    FOR    rRESBYTERIANISM.  J 5 


THE 


SCRIPTURAL  ARGUMENT 


FOR  PEESBYTERIANISM 


It  is  proposed  to  exhibit  the  plain  scriptural  argument  in 
support  of  the  Presbyterian  system  of  church  order.  In 
doing  so,  we  will  be  under  the  necessity  of  maintaining  a 
middle  course  between  ecclesiastical  mona'chy  on  the 
one  hand,  and  an  unmixed  ecclesiastical  democracy  on  the 
other.  We  shall  hold  on  our  way  without  always  stopping 
to  point  out  which  error  is  exposed  by  our  proofs,  and  shall 
leave  the  appropriate  reference  to  your  own  perspicacity, 
as  we  go  along.  Suffice  it  to  say,  such  is  our  confidence 
in  the  goodness  of  our  cause  on  scriptural  ground,  that  wo 
hope  to  satisfy  you  that  we  have  ample  warrant  for  our 
opinions. 

I.  The  first  class  of  texts  to  which  your  attention  is 
directed,  is  that  which  so  emphatically  discountenances  ail 
the  unhallowed  buddings  of  ambition,  all  inequality  of  rank, 
and  all  domineering  among  the  Christian  clergy. 

You  will  easily  recollect  the  repeated  cautions  which  our 
Lord  gave  his  disciples  on  this  point.  Observe  how  very 
explicit  his  language  is.  "But  Jesus  called  them  unto 
him,  and  said.  Ye  know  that  the  princes  of  the  Gentiles  ex- 
ercise dominion  over  them,  and  they  that  are  great  exercise 
authority  upon  them.  But  it  shall  not  be  so  among  you  ; 
but  whosoever  will  be  great  among  you  let  him  beyour  minis- 
ter, and  whosoever  will  be  chief  among  you,  let  him  be  your 
servant."  Again,  when  they  were  disputing  "  who  should 
be  greatest"  in  the  new  administration,  he  rebuked  them  by 
pointing  to  the  unambitious  innocence  of  a  little  child.  The 
apostle  Peter  thus  writes :  "  The  Elders  which  are  among 
'  U  229 


16  A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTEEIANISM. 

you  I  exhort,  who  am  also  an  Elder,  "  feed  the  flock  of  God 
which  is  among  you,  taking  the  oversight  thereof  not  hy 
constraint,  but  willingly,  not  for  filthy  lucre,  but  of  a  ready 
mind.  Neither  as  being  Lords  over  God's  heritage,  but 
being  ensamples  to  the  flock."  The  Romish  version  reads 
it,  "  domineering"  over  God's  heritage. 

Again,  the  apostle  Paul  thus  writes:  "  If  a  man  desire 
the  office  of  a  Bishop,  he  desireth  a  good  work."  The 
word  literally  expresses  the  eager  desire  of  a  famished 
person  to  obtain  food.  How  inappropriate  the  apostle's 
language,  unguarded  by  a  single  word  of  disapprobation, 
and  how  culpable  the  individual  aspirant,  if  the  eager  long- 
ing to  seize  the  reins  of  prelatical  power  were  here  intended  ! 
Every  principle  of  piety  and  common  sense  revolts  from 
such  interpretations,  and  compels  us  to  understand  the  re- 
stricted oflice  of  an  evangelical  pastor  as  meant. 

We  have,  then,  only  to  ask,  if  such  be  the  spirit  of  Scrip- 
ture and  of  Christ's  kingdom,  how  little  are  the  claims  of 
prelacy  in  harmony  with  that  spirit !  The  very  essence  of 
prelacy  consists  in  imitating  the  princes  of  the  Gentiles, 
and  "  lording  it,"  or  "  domineering,"  over  their  brethren  ; 
yet,  strange  to  say,  some  of  its  advocates,  forgetting  our 
Saviour's  caution,  pretend  to  fortify  its  pretensions  by  illus- 
trations borrowed  from  the  princes  of  the  Gentiles,  from 
military  grades,  and  from  the  ranks  of  courtiers. 

II.  VVe  point  you  to  that  class  of  texts  in  which  the 
apostles  speak  of  themselves  as  equals  among  brethren, 

Peter  assumes  no  superior  rank,  when  he  says,  "  The 
Elders  which  are  among  you  I  exhort,  who  am  also  an 
Elder."  Certainly,  so  far  from  claiming  the  primacy,  as 
the  Papists  insist,  he  does  not  even  assert  a  standing  higher 
than  that  of  a  Presbyter  or  Elder.  "  I  who  also  am  an 
Elder,  a  Presbyter."  This  savours  strongly  of  Presbyterian 
parity.  So  the  apostle  John  :  "  The  Elder,  the  Presbyter, 
unto  the  elect  lady."  James  arrogates  nothing,  but  simply 
styles  himself  "a  servant  of  God  and  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ ;"  and  advises,  in  case  of  sickness,  to  send  for  "  the 
Elders"  or  Presbyters  of  the  church,  improperly  translated 
by  the  Romish  version,  "  the  priests."  Paul  speaks  of 
Timothy's  ordination  "  by  the  hands  of  the  Presbytery," 
though  he,  an  apostle,  was  one  of  the  number.  He  or- 
dained, then,  not  as  an  apostle,  but  as  a  Presbyter,  or  Elder. 
Have  these  statements  more  of  a  Presbyterian  or  Epis- 
copal aspect  ? 
230 


A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTERIANISM.  17 

Here,  let  it  be  observed  once  for  all,  that  the  words, 
Presbyter  and  Elder,  in  Scripture,  are  always  convertible 
terms.  So  are  the  words  Bishop  and  Overseer.  Pres- 
byter simply  means  an  Elder ;  Bishop,  nothing  more  than 
an  Overseer  or  Superintendent, 

III.  That  class  of  texts  deserves  notice,  which  exhibit  a 
plurality  of  Bishops,  or  Superintendents,  in  a  smgle  city  or 
church. 

We  have  several  such  instances.  One  is  Philippi.  The 
apostle  writes,  "  To  the  saints  which  are  at  Philippi,  with 
the  Bishops,  (in  the  plural  number,)  and  Deacons."  Here 
are  three  classes  mentioned,  the  laity,  the  bishops,  and  the 
deacons.  But  it  is  obvious,  that  these  were  not  Prelatical 
Bishops ;  for  there  would  not  be  a  plurality  of  them  in  a 
single  city  or  diocese.  In  that  case,  too,  the  apostle  would 
be  guilty  of  incivility,  to  omit  sending  his  greeting  to  the 
presbyters,  while  he  passed  by  them  to  mention  the  deacons 
and  the  laity.  But  if  by  Bishops  he  meant  the  Presbyters, 
then  where  was  the  Prelate  ?  Paul  would  not  be  so  uncivil 
as  to  omit  all  mention  of  him,  had  there  been  a  prelate  there. 
To  say  that  Epaphroditus  was  that  prelate,  because  he  is 
styled  in  the  epistle,  "  your  apostle,"  is  a  violation  of  New 
Testament  usage.  "  An  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,"  is  the 
usual  formula,  and  is  perfectly  intelligible ;  whereas,  we 
can  in  no  way  conceive  of  an  apostle  deriving  his  commis- 
sion from  a  particular  church,  or  appropriated  by  any  par- 
ticular church.  In  one  sense,  indeed,  Epaphroditus  was 
the  apostle  of  the  Philippian  church,  but  that  is  a  very 
humble  sense.  The  word  signifies  a  messenger^  one  sent, 
and  the  sacred  writer  leaves  us  in  no  doubt  as  to  his  mis- 
sion. It  was  to  convey  to  him,  a  prisoner  at  Rome,  the  alms 
and  contributions  of  the  generous  Philippians,  which  Paul 
gratefully  acknowledges.  This  was  the  errand  of  Epa- 
phroditus, on  which  he  was  sent  as  their  "  messenger,"  as 
our  translation  correctly  renders  it. 

Ephesus  is  another  example.  Paul  convened  the  Elders 
of  the  church  of  Ephesus  by  a  special  message,  and  thus 
addressed  them ;  "  Take  heed  unto  yourselves,  and  to  all 
the  flock,  over  the  which  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  made  you 
Overseers,"  i,  e.  "  hath  made  you  Bishops."  Here  we 
find  a  plurality  of  presbyters  or  elders  in  a  single  church, 
and  that  they  were  designated  by  the  appropriate  title  of 
Bishops.  They  jointly  exercised  the  episcopate,  and  it  was 
necessarily  a  Parochial  Episcopacy. 

2*  231 


18  A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBVTERIANISM. 

It  has,  indeed,  been  alleged,  that  Timothy  was  sole 
Bishop  of  Ephesus.  But  there  is  no  foundation  for  the 
opinion.  The  subscription  at  the  end  of  the  epistle  which 
styles  him  so,  is  no  part  of  Scripture.  It  is  an  interpola- 
tion by  some  unknown  hand.  The  scriptures  no  where 
make  the  declaration.  Timothy  was  not  residing  in 
Ephesus  at  the  date  of  Paul's  charge  to  the  elders.  They 
had  no  prelate  at  all  then  ;  nor  was  any  intimation  drop- 
ped that  they  ever  would  have  one  ;  nor  were  they  charged 
how  to  behave  towards  one,  should  he  come.  The  epistles 
to  Timothy,  like  that  to  Titus,  contain  minute  directions 
about  pastors,  and  elders,  and  deacons,  and  their  wives; 
about  masters  and  servants  ;  about  the  laity  and  the  widows ; 
nay,  even  about  a  cloak  and  parchments  forgotten  at 
Troas :  but  not  a  syllable  is  there  about  the  duties  of  a 
prelate,  or  the  conduct  of  the  people  towards  him.  It  is  a 
fair  inference,  therefore,  that  there  was  no  such  office  in 
Ephesus. 

\V'hen  Timothy  was  aftewards  left  at  Ephesus,  it  was 
not  as  a  permanent  officer,  but  as  a  travelling  evangelist  or 
missionary,  to  regulate  some  temporary  disorders.  The 
same  office  we  find  him  discharging  at  Corinth ;  with 
which  place,  however,  no  one  mentions  his  name  in  con- 
nection. That  Timothy  could  not  have  been  a  per- 
manent resident  in  Ephesus,  is  plain  from  his  being  with 
Paul  in  Macedonia,  and  in  Rome,  besides  his  visiting 
Corinth. 

Of  Titus  we  may  also  say,  that,  instead  of  being  a  per- 
manent resident  or  Bishop  in  Crete,  he  appears  to  have 
been  as  great  a  traveller  as  his  compeer ;  for  we  find  hinn 
wandering  at  Nicopolis,  Troas,  Philippi,  Corinth,  and  Dal- 
matia.  His  duty,  too,  was  but  temporary ;  it  was  '*  to  sQt 
in  order  the  things  that  were  wanting.' 

That  there  was  a  plurality  of  elders  or  superintendents  in 
other  churches  beside  Philippi  and  Ephesus,  we  learn  from 
the  remainder  of  the  text  just  cited,  "  and  ordain  elders  in 
every  city."  And  we  learn  that  when  "  Paul  and  Barnabas 
had  ordained  them  elders  in  every  church,  they  commended 
them  to  the  Lord."  Here  is  a  plurality  of  elders  men- 
tioned as  set  apart  in  each  single  church  by  solemn  ordi- 
nation. This  harmonizes  with  the  directions,  "  Obey 
them,"  in  the  plural  number,  "  that  have  the  rule  over 
you."  To  appreciate  the  full  force  of  this  argument,  re- 
member that  elder  and  bishoo  arc  identical,  as  we  have 
232 


A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTERIANISM.  19 

seen ;  and  this  plurality  of  bishops  or  superintendents  in 
each  individual  church,  can  be  explained  only  on  Pres- 
byterian principles. 

IV.  Consider  that  class  of  texts  which  describe  pres- 
byters as  exercising  the  functions  exclusively  claimed  for 
prelates. 

Surely  ordination,  supervision  and  discipline,  will  be  ac- 
knowledged to  be  prerogatives  of  prelacy,  if  it  have  any. 
But  we  find  ordination  practised  by  presbyters.  Timothy 
was  ordained  "  with  the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  pres- 
bytery." To  evade  this  direct  averment,  some  have  re- 
sorted to  the  subterfuge  of  supposing  that  the  word  should 
be  taken  for  the  office  of  presbyter — the  presbyterate,  not 
the  collection  of  presbyters.  But  the  word  is  never  used  in 
any  other  passage  of  Scripture,  except  to  denote  the  body 
of  elders.  Usage,  therefore,  sanctions  our  translation  in 
this  instance.  Others  have  contended  that  the  whole  virtue 
of  the  ordination  flowed  from  the  hands  of  Paul,  and  the 
rest  only  signified  their  consent.  But  when  Paul  reminded 
Timothy  of  the  imposition  of  his  hands  specially,  we  sup- 
pose he  meant  no  more  than  any  aged  minister  might  do, 
who  having  participated  in  the  ordination  of  a  young  and 
beloved  son  in  the  gospel,  would  naturally  feel  a  deep  in- 
terest in  him,  and  dwell  with  emphasis  on  the  fact  that  his 
hands  had  rested  on  his  head. 

Is  ruling  a  prerogative  of  a  prelate  ?  "  Obey  them  that 
have  the  rule  over  you,"  is  the  injunction.  Observe,  a 
plurality  of  rulers  is  intimated—"  them."  "  Know  them 
that  labour  among  you,  and  are  over  you  in  the  Lord  ;" 
a  plurality  again.  "The  eiders  that  rule  well  are  worthy 
oF  double  honour."  tiere  ruling  is  distinctly  attributed  to 
the  presbyterial  ofllce. 

In  this  last  cited  text  j^ou  have  a  striking  distinction  be- 
tween two  classes  of  chm'ch  officers,  and  a  clear  war- 
rant for  the  office  of  the  ruling  elder.  It  is  worthy  of  note 
that  the  phrases  in  the  original  are  participles,  which  may 
be  rendered  thus :  "  The  well-ruling  elders  are  to  have 
double  honour ;  the  labourers  in  word  and  doctrine  espe- 
cially ;"  which  gives  us  the  two  classes  of  Ruling  Elders, 
and  Teaching  Elders. 

Very  different  talents  are  required  for  ruling  and  for  in- 
structing. The  first  requires  judgment,  though  learning 
be  deficient.  The  latter  demands  acquaintance  with  books 
and  study,  in  addition.  The  office  of  preacher,  therefore, 
u  2  233 


20  A    PLEA    FOR    rPESKYTERIANISJI. 

is  superior  to  that  of  ruler,  because  the  preacher,  besides 
being  himself  a  ruler,  is  also  something,  more.  But  pre- 
latists  reverse  the  order,  and  exalt  the  ruler  to  a  rank  above 
the  preacher. 

Is  oversight  or  superintendence  the  duty  of  a  prelate  ? 
We  find  Paul  and  Peter  both  giving  it  to  the  elders.  "  Feed 
the  flock  of  God,"  says  Paul  to  the  Ephesian  elders,  "  over 
which  the  Holy  Ghost  has  made  you  overseers^  i.  e. 
BlsJio'ps,''''  for  so  is  the  original.  And  Peter,  "  feed  the 
flock  of  God,  taking  the  oversight  thereof,  i.  e.  the  episco- 
pate thereof."  Here  are  the  elders  exhorted  to  do  the  duty 
of  Bishops,  or  Superintendents,  to  exercise  the  Episcopal 
office.  It  is  objected  that  the  word  "  feed"  is  employed, 
not  the  word  "  rule,"  and  that  this  implies  the  duty  of 
preaching  alone.  This  is  an  argument  for  English  readers 
only.  It  is  enough  to  turn  to  Micah  vii.  14 — "  Feed  thy 
people  with  thy  rod,"  where  the  same  word  is  used  in  the 
Septuagint  version,  and  must  denote  ruling.  Again,  Rev. 
ii.  27.  "  He  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron."  The 
original  word  is  the  same.  But  in  truth,  "  feed"  is  an  .in- 
adequate translation,  and  "  rule"  is  not  less  so.  The  origi- 
nal phrase  would  be  more  fully  expressed  by  the  paraphrase, 
"  discharge  all  the  duties  of  a  shepherd,"  whatever  they 
are,  feeding  or  ruling.  This  simple  statement  relieves  the 
subject  of  all  difficulty. 

Is  a  complaint  to  be  lodged  ?  ''  Tell  it,"  not  to  a  Prelate, 
neither  to  the  whole  brotherhood,  minors  included,  "  but 
to  the  church,"  i.  e.  to  the  representatives  chosen  b}'-  the 
church.  Thus,  Deuteronomy  xxxi.  28,  Moses  says,  "  Gather 
unto  me  all  the  elders  of  your  tribes,  and  your  ofHcers,  that 
I  may  speak  these  words  in  their  ears ;"  while  in  the  SOfti 
verse  it  is  stated,  that  "  Moses  spake  in  the  ears  of  all  the 
congregation,  or  church  of  Israel."  So,  then,  to  address 
the  elders  or  representatives  assembled,  is  tantamount  to 
addressing  the  whole  church. 

These  officers  were  not  designated  by  a  Prelate,  but  by 
the  church ;  for  the  Apostles,  "  when  they  had  ordained  them 
elders  in  every  church,  commended  them  to  the  Lord." 
The  word  translated  "  ordained,"  signifies  taking  the 
suffrages  by  uplifted  hands,  and  means  evidently,  that  when 
the  people  had  chosen  their  own  officers  by  vote,  the 
Apostles  added  their  solemn  ratification.  Ordination,  strictly 
so  called,  was  by  the  ministry,  while  election  was  in  the 
234 


A   PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTERIANISM.  21 

hands  of  the  people.    We  find  a  like  example  in  the  choice 
of  the  seven  deacons. 

It  appears,  then,  that  ordination,  superintendence,  and 
discipline,  were  entrusted,  not  to  a  single  individual,  -nor  to 
the  whole  company  of  believers,  but  to  a  plurality  of 
officers  in  every  church. 

V.  Consider  all  that  class  of  texts  which  describe  the 
primitive  ordinations,  and  in  which  there  is  not  the  slightest 
intimation  of  official  superiority  on  the  part  of  the  per- 
sons ordained. 

In  vain  will  you  look  for  such  intimations,  or  for  any 
oflicial  instructions  in  the  ordination  of  the  seventy  ;  or  of 
the  twelve,  though  recorded  by  three  Evangelists ;  or  in 
Christ's  parting  iiiessage  to  them ;  or  in  the  ordination  of 
Matthias ;  or  in  that  of  Paul ;  or  in  that  of  Timothy. 
This  silence  presents  a  striking  contrast  with  rm^y  modern 
charges,  in  which  the  superior  dignity  of  the  prelate,  and 
the  distinction  of  the  three  orders,  are  not  passed  over  quite 
so  slightly.  But  if  neither  in  the  original  instructions,  nor 
in  Christ's  farewell  discourse,  nor  in  the  account  of  sepa- 
rate ordinations,  we  find  the  least  intimation  of  a  distinction 
of  rank,  then  may  we  well  reject  the  pretension  as  a  to- 
tally unwarranted  figment. 

VI.  Notice  that  class  of  texts  which  describe  the  office 
and  duties  of  a  bishop,  and  represent  them  as  agreeing  with 
the  office  and  duties  of  a  pastor. 

We  have  two  specific  charges,  one  to  Timothy,  another 
to  Titus.  In  that  to  Titus,  it  is  said,  "  I  left  thee  in  Crete, 
to  ordain  elders  in  every  city,  as  I  had  appointeed  thee,  if 
any  be  blameless ;  for  a  bishop  must  be  blameless."  Is  it 
a  reason  why  an  elder  must  have  such  and  such  qualilica 
tions,  that  they  are  requisite  in  a  prelate?  The  argument  is 
inconclusive.  Suppose  it  were  said  in  the  Constitution,  "  A 
representative  must  be  thirty  years  of  age,  because  the 
president  must  be  of  that  age."  Strange  reasoning  this 
would  be  deemed.  But  if  it  were  stated  that  "  A  repre- 
sentative must  be  thirty  years  old,  because  a  member  of 
Congress  cannot  be  qualified  under  that  age,"  the  incon- 
gruity would  vanish.  It  is  obvious  that  bishop  and  pres- 
byter are  here  the  same  identical  thing ;  the  words  are 
synonymous. 

Once  more :  follow  the  description,  and  it  is  in  every  re- 
spect applicable,  and  only  applicable,  to  a  pastor.  I  de- 
sire particular  attention  may  be  paid   to  this  point,  for  i 

235 


23  A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTERIANISM. 

intend  presently  to  draw  from  it  a  very  serious  crimi- 
nation. 

In  the  charge  to  Timothy,  bishops  are  mentioned,  and 
the  same  applicability  is  observable.  By  these,  Paul  meant 
elders  alone.  Yet,  strange  omission  !  while  he  gives  direc- 
tions about  the  clergy,  the  deacons,  and  even  the  deacons' 
wives,  laity  and  widows,  to  say  nothing  of  a  cloak  and 
parchments,  he  maintains  an  ominous  silence  on  the  topic 
of  the  duties  of  a  prelate,  the  reverence  due  to  him,  or  the 
etiquette  Timothy  was  to  observe  towards  his  brother 
prelates.. 

It  is  remarkable,  indeed,  that  in  the  whole  range  of  the  New 
Testament,  with  its  twenty-seven  books  and  two  hundred  and 
sixty  chapters,  specific  and  minute  as  The  directions  often  are, 
we  cannot  firuj  a  solitary  chapter,  or  part  of  a  chapter,  suit- 
able to  be  iN^d  as  a  charge  to  a  prelate  at  his  consecration. 
It  is  a  fact  to  which  your  special  attention  is  invited,  that 
prelatists  are  compelled  to  borrow,  on  such  occasions,  pas- 
sages which  are  in  reality,  by  their  own  acknowledgment, 
appropriate  only  to  the  ordination  of  presbyters ;  such  as 
Paul's  charge  to  Timothy,  and  his  charge  to  the  elders  of 
Ephesus.  To  such  a  pitiable  destitution  are  they  reduced, 
as  to  be  compelled  to  borrow  from  another  service ;  and 
thus  an  imposition  is  practised  upon  the  people  every  time 
a  prelate  is  ordained,  by  reading  for  their  warrant  a  selec- 
tion from  Scripture  which  is  no  warrant  at  all.  We  cer- 
tainly have  a  right  to  expect  that  at  such  a  time,  if  ever, 
they  would  bring  forward  their  clearest  and  strongest 
warrant ;  and  if  they  have  nothing  better  to  offer  than  this, 
we  must  regard  it  as  a  lamentable  confession  of  inability. 

But  it  is  contended  that  the  name  bishop,  came  into  use 
immediately  after  the  apostolic  age,  up  to  which  period  the 
name  Apostle,  had  been  appropriated  to  the  prelate.  Apos- 
tle was  then  the  original  and  scriptural  appellation  for  the 
supreme  diocesan  ruler,  and  bishop  was  a  less  ancient  and 
unscriptural  title,  superseding  it.  This  looks  very  much 
like  surrendering  the  main  point,  and  it  is  certainly  aban- 
doning Scripture  ground.  It  is  observable  that  the  New 
Testament  is  totally  silent  in  regard  to  any  such  anticipated 
change,  and  makes  no  provision  to  meet  it. 

We  acknowledge  that  the  scriptural  meaning  of  the  term 

bishop,  did  undergo  a  change  after  the  Apostles'  days,  and 

was  made  to  include  a  wider  range  of  superintendence ;  in 

which  we  coincide  with  the  admissions  made  by  Bingham, 

236 


A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTER  I ANISM.  23 

the  great  English  authority  on  the  antiquities  of  the  Church, 
and  after  him  by  the  leading  American  writers,  from  Ra- 
venscroft  to  VVainwright ;  but  we  ascribe  the  change  to  a 
cause  altogether  different.  That  cause  was  the  insidious 
entrance  of  corruption.  The  leaven  of  ambition  was  be- 
ginning to  work.  The  love  of  power  and  domination 
which  once  fired  the  bosoms  even  of  the  sons  of  Zebedee, 
prevailed  and  became  universal.  An  office  no  greater  at 
first  than  president,  chairman,  or  standing  moderator  of 
the  presbytery,  grew  by  gradual  usurpations  to  the  claim 
of  absolute  predominance. 

If  we  are  told  that  the  church,  in  those  primitive  times, 
was  too  pure  to  admit  such  a  supposition,  we  reply,  that  it 
would  be  a  great  mistake  indeed  to  imagine  corruption  then 
impossible.  We  must  be  careful  not  to  be  led  away  by 
sounds,  and  thence  to  infer  the  innocence  of  the  primitive 
church.  Without  reminding  you  of  the  disorders  rebuked 
by  Paul  among  the  Corinthians,  or  appealing  to  the 
testimony  of  the  early  Fathers,  which  is  by  no  means  flat- 
tering, we  will  content  ourselves  with  reminding  you  of 
Diotrephes  of  Corinth,  "  who  loved  in  all  things  to  have 
the  pre-eminence,"  disregarding  even  the  letters  of  the  Apos- 
tle John  himself,  and  excommunicating  individuals  whom 
John  deemed  worthy  to  be  called  "  brethren." 

Nor  does  it  relieve  the  difficulty  to  say  that  a  usurpation 
of  unscriptural  authority  could  not  have  taken  place  silently. 
We  answer  that  precisely  such  a  change  did  occur,  as  must 
be  admitted  by  all,  in  the  case  of  Metropolitans,  Arch- 
bishops, Archdeacons,  Subdeacons,  the  date  of  whose  pre- 
cise origin  is  unknown,  although  indubitably  subsequent  to 
the  apostolic  era.  The  title  o^  Pope,  Papa  or  Fatlier,  now 
limited  to  the  Bishop  of  Rome,  was  originally  the  common 
appellation  of  all  bishops,  and  is  to  this  day  the  familiar 
title  of  every  priest  in  the  Greek  Church.  It  is  ridiculous, 
therefore,  to  affirm  that  the  change  in  question  could  not 
have  taken  place  silently  and  without  resistance,  when  we 
find  other  changes  of  a  similar  character  thus  established. 
The  price  of  liberty  is  incessant  vigilance;  and  the  early 
church  paid  the  penalty  of  its  easy  neglect  by  its  gradual 
subjugation  beneath  the  yoke  of  prelacy.  Of  the  possi- 
bility of  such  silent  and  gradual  changes,  moreover,  we  are 
furnished  with  a  striking  and  lamentable  example  in  New 
England.  The  Congregational  churches  were  formerly 
provided  each  with  one  or  more  ruling  elders,  but  in   the 

237 


24  A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTERIANISM. 

course  of  time,  the  office  has  become  ahnost  wholly  ex- 
tinct. 

But,  still  further  to  strengthen  our  position,  we  deny 
total  silence  on  the  subject.  The  change  did  not  take  place 
wholly  unnoticed.  Jerome,  in  the  fourth  century,  explicitly 
mentions  it  as  a  fact,  and  describes  it  as  having  "  gradually," 
come  in  through  pride  and  contention.  He  challenged  the 
whole  body  of  bishops  and  clergy  to  deny  the  fact,  but 
conscious  of  its  truth,  not  one  of  his  contemporaries  had 
the  hardihood  to  do  so ;  nay,  Augustine,  his  correspondent, 
admitted  the  fact,  and  acknowledged  that  he  owed  his  dig- 
nity to  the  custom  of  the  Church.  Now  this  is  as  strong 
an  argument  as  we  are  in  the  habit  of  deducing  for  the  truth 
of  our  Saviour's  miracles,  from  the  circumstance,  that  while 
the  early  infidels  explained  them  by  magic  and  other 
methods,  not  one  of  them  ever  denied  the  fact  of  their  ac- 
tual occurrence. 

The  formal  suppression  of  the  Chorepiscopi,  or  bishops 
of  country  congregations,  by  the  Council  of  Laodicca,  in 
360,  and  subjecting  them  to  the  complete  control  of  the 
city  bishops,  is  another  fact  that  speaks  loudly  on  this  sub- 
ject. One  privilege  after  another  was  gradually  abridged, 
till  in  the  ninth  century  we  find  them  extinct  through  the 
direction  of  the  Pope  and  on  the  ground  that  they  were  not 
truly  bishops. 

The  remarkable  diminution  of  the  number  of  bishops  in 
inverse  proportion  to  the  increase  of  the  churches  is  another 
proof  of  a  change  having  occurred  restricting  the  title.  In 
the  Council  of  Trent,  in  the  sixteenth  century,  which  was 
designed  for  an  ecumenical  or  general  council,  there  were 
but  forty  bishops  or  prelates.  Over  all  England,  with  her 
10,000  parishes,  there  are  but  twenty-seven,  including  two 
archbishops.  Over  Spain,  with  her  146,696  clergy,  there 
are  but  sixty-one,  including  the  archbishops.  Contrast 
with  these  small  numbers,  the  fact  of  600  bishops  con- 
vened to  try  Paul  of  Antioch,  about  the  year  260 :  more 
than  500  were  present  at  the  conference  between  Augustine 
and  the  Donatists,  in  a  single  province  in  Africa,  about  the 
y<?ar  410  ;  and  during  the  Vandalic  persecution  in  Africa, 
in  one  single  region,  no  less  than  660  are  reported  as  hav- 
ing fled,  not  counting  the  number  murdered,  imprisoned, 
and  tolerated. 

Among  the  300  dioceses  of  Italy,  some  comprised  a  terri- 
tory of  but  ten  or  twelve  miles  square,  and  others  were 
238 


A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTERIANISM.  25 

within  three  miles  of  each  other.  Asia  Minor,  which  was 
about  600  miles  long  by  300  broad,  was  covered  by  no 
less  than  400  dioceses,  giving,  on  an  average,  one  bishop 
to  a  little  over  every  twenty  miles  square,  but  in  some 
instances  we  know  the  territory  was  less.  In  the  small 
province  of  Caria,  embracing  a  territory  considerably  less 
than  that  of  New  Jersey,  there  were  anciently  no  fewer 
than  thirty-one  dioceses,  each  from  ten  to  fifteen  miles  in 
circuit. 

Is  it  credible  that  all  these  were  prelates  in  the  modern 
sense,  when  the  districts  of  country  in  which  they  resided 
were  not  larger  than  regions  which  a  very  few  prelates  are 
competent  to  manage  in  modern  times  ?  There  is  but  one 
mode  of  explanation, — that  the  name  "  Bishop"  did  not 
lose  but  gradually  its  scriptural  sense  of  parochial  super- 
intendence. 

Surely  this  point  is  sufficiently  clear ;  and  it  must  be  con- 
ceded, on  all  hands,  that  that  class  of  texts  which  describe 
the  functions  of  a  bishop,  specify  the  functions,  not  of  a 
diocesan,  but  of  a  parochial  bishop. 

VII.  We  proceed  to  that  class  of  texts  which  make  the 
distinction  of  the  apostolate,  consist  not  in  the  sole  power 
of  ordination  and  general  superintendence  of  the  churches, 
but  in  being  witnesses  of  Christ's  resurrection,  and  having 
their  testimony  accompanied  with  the  power  of  working 
miracles,  for  credentials. 

The  apostle  Peter  has  stated  the  true  object  of  the  ap- 
pointment. When  the  hundred  and  twenty  disciples  were 
all  assembled  after  the  suicide  of  Judas,  Peter  proposed 
to  supply  the  vacancy  in  the  apostolic  college,  in  these 
words,  "  wherefore  of  these  men  which  have  companied 
with  us  all  the  time  that  the  Lord  Jesus  went  in  and  out 
among  us,  beginning  from  the  baptism  of  John,  unto  that 
same  day  that  he  was  taken  up  from  us,  must  one  be  or- 
dained to  be  a  witness  of  his  resurrection  :"  not,  to  share 
the  onerous  rule  and  government  of  churches  which  as 
yet  had  no  existence,  but  to  supply  the  place  of  an  eye 
witness  of  all  that  had  happened  to  the  Redeemer.  The 
principle  of  the  selection  is  obvious.  The  cardinal  fact  of 
the  resurrection  of  Christ  from  the  dead,  on  which  depends 
the  whole  verity  of  the  Christian  religion,  must  be  at- 
tested by  witnesses  of  unquestionable  competency.  It 
was  not  enough  to  be  a  disciple;  the  person  called  to  this 
duty  must  have  been  qualitied   by  such   an  acquaintance 

3  239 


26  A    PLEA    Foil    PRESBYTERIANISM. 

with  Christ  before  and  after  his  resurrection,  as  would  en 
able   hiin   to    identify  his   person.     Therefore  they  chose 
one   who   had    companied    with    Jesus    during   the    term 
of  his   ministry,  and  whose   testimony    would    be  unim- 
peachable. 

Paul  himself  refers  to  his  being  miraculously  qualified 
for  the  office  of  an  apostle  by  a  vision  of  the  glorified  Re- 
deemer. To  those  who  disputed  his  authority,  he  adduced 
but  two  proofs  on  which  he  rested  his  claim, — first,  his 
having  seen  the  Lord:  next,  his  ministerial  success. 
"  Am  I  not  an  apostle  ?  Am  I  not  free  ?  Have  I  not 
seen  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord'.'  Are  ye  not  my  work  in 
the  Lordi"  He  seems  to  allude  to  it  agaiji,  when  he 
tells  the  Corinthians,  "  After  that  he  was  seen  of  James, 
then  of  all  the  apostles.  And  last  of  all,  he  was  seen  of 
me  also,  as  of  one  [i.  e.  as  of  an  apostle]  born  out  of  due 
time.  For  I  am  the  least  of  the  apostles,  that  am  not  meet 
to  be  called  an  apostle,  because  I  have  persecuted  the  church 
of  God.  But  by  the  grace  of  God  I  am  what  I  am."  Cor. 
XV.  7 — 10.  This  was  said  in  connexion  with  the  propound- 
ing of  the  death,  burial,  and  resurrection  of  Christ,  which 
he  had  preached  them,  and  of  which  he  certified  as  a  com- 
petent witness.  It  was  said,  moreover,  in  close  connexion 
with  the  mention  of  the  other  apostles,  as  if  this  were  an 
indispensable  qualification. 

Of  their  testimony  miraculous  gifts  constituted  the  Ap- 
propriate credentials.  Paul  reminded  the  Church  of  Co- 
rinth, "  Truly  the  signs  of  an  apostle  were  wrought  among 
you  in  all  patience,  in  signs  and  wonders  and  mighty 
deeds."  There  was  the  seal  of  God's  approval  visibly 
affixed  to  the  apostolate.  It  might  be  well  for  our  modern 
bishops,  who  claim  to  be  successors  of  the  apostles,  and  to 
have  the  sole  legitimate  claim  to  that  title,  (a  title  which 
nothing  but  the  characteristic  modesty  of  the  order,  as 
Ihey  would  have  us  believe,  has  permitted  to  fall  into 
desuetude,)  to  ponder  this  remarkable  intimation  of 
Paul.  They  have  derived  many  an  argument  from  in- 
timations not  half  as  clear  and  striking  as  this.  And 
it  may  not  be  an  impertinent  inquiry,  which  the  people 
are  authorized  by  these  words  of  Paul  to  put,  if  the 
"  signs  of  an  apostle"  consist  in  miraculous  gifts,  are  we 
not  entitled  to  expect  like  satisfactory  credentials  at  their 
hands  ? 

Functions  like  those  before  described,  of  course,  ceased 
240 


A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTERIANISM.  27 

with  the  death  of  the  witnesses ;  and  it  is  idle,  therefore, 
to  talk  of  successors  of  the  apostles.  They  left  no  suc- 
cessors behind  them.  Their  exercise  of  ecclesiastical 
authority  and  discipline  proves  nothing ;  for  this  they 
could  do  in  their  capacity  of  presbyters,  evangelists,  or 
special  missionaries,  such  as  Eusebius  describes,  regulat- 
ing what  was  in  an  unformed  state,  and  then  leaving  the 
Churches  to  govern  themselves,  and  when  it  was  necessary, 
aiding  them  with  parental  counsel. 

Vllf.  That  class  of  texts  remains  to  be  mentioned 
which  authorizes  us  to  believe  that  the  Christian  Church 
was  modeled  not  after  the  temple  service,  but  after  the 
synagogue. 

The  duration  of  the  Levitical  economy  was  evanescent. 
The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  is  filled  with  an  elaborate 
argument  to  this  purport.  The  Levitical  economy  was  but 
a  shadow  of  good  things  to  come,  and  when  those  coming 
benefits  arrived,  was  to  be  superseded  by  them  and  abolish- 
ed. The  apostle  Paul  alludes  to  the  temporary  nature 
of  the  Mosaic  law  and  ritual  again  very  plainly  in  2  Cor. 
iii.  11,  "For  if  that  which  is  done  away  was  glorious, 
much  more  that  which  remaineth  is  glorious."  Here 
he  describes  the  old  economy  as  "  done  away."  But  if 
it  be  done  away,  or  superseded,  if  all  its  parts  and  services, 
its  "worldly  sanctuary,"  and  its  sacrifices,  were  but 
figurative  and  typical,  and  passed  away  as  shadows  over 
the  harvest  field,  it  is  altogether  unwarranted  to  single 
out  the  officers  thereof  as  permanent  when  all  else  is 
abolished.  Therefore  no  argument  can  be  legitimately 
drawn  from  a  triple  order  of  gradation  in  the  temple 
service;  a  high  priest,  priests,  and  Levites,  imagined  to 
correspond  to  prelate,  presbyters,  and  deacons  in  the  Chris- 
tian Church. 

This  view  of  the  subject  derives  additional  force,  when 
it  is  borne  in  mind  that  the  term  "  priest"  is  not  once  ap- 
plied to  the  Christian  ministry  in  the  whole  New  Testa- 
ment. This  prelatists  themselves  are  forced  to  admit. 
The  only  solitary  text  that  looks  the  least  that  way  is 
Rom.  XV.  16,  "That  I  should  be  the  minister  of  Jesus 
Christ  to  the  Gentiles,  ministering  the  gospel  of  God,  that 
the  offering  up  of  the  Gentiles  might  be  acceptable,  being 
sanctified  by  the  Holy  Ghost."  This  is  a  passage  so  evi- 
dently figurative,  that  weak  indeed  must  be  the  cause  that 
leans  on  it  for  its  sole  support.  The  whole  church,  or 
V  241 


28  A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTERIANISM. 

companyof  believers,  are  several  times  styled  "  priests;" 
they  are  addressed  as  "  a  royal  priesthood,  a  holy  nation, 
a  peculiar  people  ;"  they  all  are  to  "  offer  spiritual  sacri- 
fices acceptable  to  God  through  Christ  Jesus."  Nor 
have  we  any  officer  corresponding  to  the  high  priest  of  the 
Jews,  upon  earth.  Jesus  is  our  only  High  Priest.  "  He 
is  the  apostle  and  high  priest  of  our  profession,  a  high 
priest  of  good  things  to  come,  and  by  one  offering  he 
hath  perfected  for  ever  them  that  are  sanctified."  Our 
High  Priest  is  now  in  the  upper  sanctuary,  the  holy  of 
holies,  performing  the  intercessiorial  functions  of  his 
office. 

If  the  temple  service  is  to  be  our  model,  the  Romish 
church  is  the  only  one  that  strictly  adheres  to  it.  They 
are  the  only  consistent  prelatists.  They  have  Levites,  or 
deacons  ;  priests  or  presbyters  ;  heads  of  courses  and  chief 
priests,  or  bishops  and  archbishops ;  and  finally  the  apex 
of  the  pyramid  is  surmounted  by  a  pope,  high  priest,  or 
supreme  pontiff. 

We  may  observe  here,  in  passing,  the  great  importance 
of  a  single  word.  There  are  no  priests  properly  in  the 
Christian  Church.  The  very  name  is  not  once  mentioned. 
It  appears  to  be  studiously  avoided.  Yet  if  men  may  slide 
in  the  little  word  "  priest,"  as  a  corruption  of  the  word 
"presbyter,"  you  perceive  the  evils  it  introduces  along 
with  it.  It  opens  the  door  for  a  comparison  with  the  old 
Jewish  priesthood,  and  its  gradation  of  order,  and  thus 
slily  prepares  the  wfiy  for  the  entrance  of  prelacy,  and  not 
only  of  prelacy,  but  of  transubstantiation  ;  for  a  priest  is 
nothing  without  his  correlates,  an  altar  and  a  sacrifice. 
The  next  step  must  therefore  be  to  provide  him  with  an 
altar,  and  furnish  it  with  a  sacrifice,  the  sacrifice  of  the 
masis.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  gross  and  super- 
stitious errors  of  the  church  of  Rome  originated  in  this 
way.  Cyprian  was  not  the  only  individual  who  loved  to 
magnify  the  clerical  office,  and  who  hankered  after  the 
pomp  of  the  Levitical  priesthood.  Thus  the  term  "  priest" 
being  gradually  fixed  in  the  church,  the  prelate,  and  the 
impious  sacrifice  of  the  mass,  easily  followed. 

It  is  plain,  from  what  has  been  said,  that  the  gospel 
church  is  not  framed  afi;er  the  model  of  the  temple  ser- 
vice. Let  us  examine  its  analogy  with  the  model  of  the 
synagogue. 

Is  there  a  presiding  minister  in  every  Christian  church 
242 


A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTERIANISM.  29 

or  congregation  ?  So  was  there  in  each  synagogue. 
He  was  called  the  angel  or  messenger  of  the  church, 
(a  term  which  sheds  light  on  the  angels  of  the  seven 
churches  in  Asia  Minor,  mentioned  in  the  Apocalypse,) 
the  overseer,  superintendent,  or  bishop  of  the  congrega- 
tion. His  duties  corresponded  with  those  of  a  Christian 
pastor. 

Is  there  a  plurality  of  elders  in  every  church  7  So  was 
there  a  bench  of  elders,  three  or  more,  who  participated  in 
the  government  of  each  synagogue.  But  elders  were  not 
recognized  in  the  temple. 

Are  deacons  necessary  officers  in  each  church?  So  were 
there  deacons,  who  were  not  rulers  in  each  synagogue. 
But  the  office  was  unknown  in  the  temple. 

Are  the  public  reading  of  the  scriptures,  and  preach- 
ing, enjoined  in  the  church  ?  So  they  were  every  Sab- 
bath day  in  the  synagogue.  But  neither  reading  the 
scriptures  nor  preaching  was  a  part  of  the  ritual  of  the 
temple.  On  the  contrary,  so  far  from  assembling  every 
Sabbath  day  for  this  purpose,  the  Jews  were  only  required 
to  appear  in  the  temple  three  times  a  year,  at  particular 
festivals. 

Is  discipline,  by  excommunication  and  the  like,  found  in 
the  Christian  church  ?  So  was  it  in  the  synagogue.  Our 
Lord  predicted  that  his  followers  would  render  themselves 
liable  to  be  "  put  out  of  the  synagogue,"  and  the  blind  man 
whom  he  restored  to  sight,  was  actually  thus  "  cast  out," 
or  excommunicated. 

Is  ordination  by  imposition  of  hands  a  rite  of  the  church  ? 
So  it  was  in  the  synagogue.  But  it  was  not  in  the  temple. 
We  might  add,  that  neither  was  circumcision,  nor  the  pass- 
over,  corresponding  to  baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper, 
temple  rites. 

Should  provision  be  made  for  the  poor  by  weekly  collec- 
tions in  the  Church  ?  Such  collections  were  weekly  made 
by  the  deacons  of  the  synagogue ;  another  item  wherein  the 
analogy  with  the  temple  service  fkils. 

And,  to  mention  no  more,  is  the  altar  absent  in  the 
Christian  Church,  and  its  place  supplied  by  a  pulpit  or  desk 
in  a  central  position  ?  Precisely  so  was  it  in  the  synagogue. 
Indeed,  so  striking  was  the  resemblance  between  the  Jewish 
and  Christian  places  of  worship,  that  when  the  Jews  were 
persecuted  at  Rome,  the  Christian  Churches  were  broken 
3*  243 


30  A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTERIANISM. 

into  and  violated  because  they  were  confounded  with  the 
synagogues. 

For  all  these  reasons  we  conclude  that  the  model  of 
the  Christian  Church  was  not  the  temple,  but  the  syna- 
gogue ;  and  that  as  we  find  in  each  synagogue,  a  bishop  or 
presiding  minister,  a  bench  of  ruling  elders,  and  a  company 
of  deacons  to  attend  to  the  poor,  so  we  should  constitute 
each  individual  Christian  church  with  like  officers. 

In  order  to  assist  the  memory,  and  to  concentrate  the 
light  collected  from  so  many  quarters,  let  us  now  recapitu- 
late the  arguments  that  have  been  advanced. 

Several  preliminary  topics  were  touched  upon,  for  the 
purpose  of  clearing  the  way  to  the  main  defence  on  scrip- 
tural ground.  It  was  stated  that  however  firmly  we  may 
advocate  our  favourite  mode  of  church  government,  we  can 
do  so,  and  by  our  standards  are  bound  to  do  so,  in  a  spirit 
of  charity  to  those  who  differ  from  us,  nor  do  our  principles 
compel  us  to  unchurch  other  bodies  of  professing  Chris- 
tians. 

As  far  as  the  necessity  or  use  of  a  succession  is  in- 
volved, we  have  a  perfectly  valid  succession  through  the 
line  of  presbyters.  If  piety  and  good  works  be  made  the 
test,  while  we  would  be  far  from  boasting,  we  have  no  need 
to  hang  our  heads.  An  appeal  to  the  early  fathers  results 
more  favourably  than  otherwise  to  our  claims,  though  we 
depend  not  on  them.  VVe  have  the  conctirrent  suffl-age  of 
the  Reformers  on  our  side,  some  of  whom  declined  bishop- 
rics on  principle.  And  it  was  shown  that  the  insinuation 
of  necessity  as  the  reason  of  dispensing  with  bishops  is  the 
last  a  prelatist  should  bring  forward,  since  it  would  imply 
a  state  of  things  most  disreputable  to  the  order.  The 
question  of  liturgies  and  the  like,  we  showed,  was  per- 
fectly irrelevant,  being  only  a  subordinate  question.  As 
far  as  congeniality  with  the  republican  spirit  is  required, 
Presbyterianism  harmonizes  admirably  with  republican 
institutions.  Prelacy,  on  the  other  hand,  harmonizes  as 
decidedly  with  monarchy.  Let  prelacy  but  become  the 
universal  religion  of  the  United  States,  and  we  may  not 
unreasonably  anticipate  a  diminished  aversion  to  the  intro- 
duction of  monarchical  principles  into  the  state.  The 
last  preliminary  remark  was,  that  in  point  of  efficiency, 
discipline,  and  order,  our  system  of  church  government 
yields  to  none. 

But  notwithstanding  all  these  circumstances  are  in  our 
244 


A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBi^TERIANISM.  31 

favour,  so  strenuous  are  we  for  adherence  to  the  word  and 
will  of  God  when  clearly  revealed,  so  stoutly  do  we  hold 
to  the  sentiment  that  in  the  Bible  is  the  religion  of  Pro- 
testants, that  could  it  be  plainly  shown  that  we  are  destitute 
of  Scripture  warrant,  we  would  yield  the  contest,  and 
without  a  murmur  embrace  any  system  that  is  manifestly 
more  scriptural.  This,  we  are  of  opinion,  cannot  be 
shown :  but  on  the  other  hand,  a  diligent  investigation  of 
the  scriptures  will  furnish  ample  warrant  for  our  prac- 
tices. This  was  the  result  at  the  Reformation,  when 
the  scriptures  were  explored,  not  to  find  arguments 
to  vindicate  some  existing  practice,  but  to  extract  and 
reconstruct  thence  the  original  and  long  forgotten  system. 

In  stating  the  scriptural  argument,  it  may  be  remarked, 
that  we  have  several  classes  of  texts  which  give  their 
cumulative  weight  against  prelacy  on  the  one  hand,  and 
independency  on  the  other,  and  can  be  adapted  to  no  other 
system  but  one  of  Presbyterial  parity.  One  class  of  texts 
discountenances  all  ambition,  domineering,  and  struggling 
for  superior  rank  among  the  clergy.  Another  exhibits 
the  apostles  speaking  of  themselves  as  equals  amono- 
brethren,  in  short,  as  simple  Presbyters.  A  third  class 
shows  a  plurality  of  bishops  or  superintendents  in  a 
single  city  or  congregation.  A  fourth  describes  the  elder- 
ship or  presbytery  doing  what  is  claimed  for  prelates, 
ordaining,  governing,  and  the  like.  In  that  class  of  texts 
which  describes  the  primitive  ordinations,  there  is  not  the 
slightest  intimation  of  the  communicating  of  any  official 
superiority.  A  sixth  class  of  texts,  in  describing  the  duties 
of  a  bishop,  makes  them  coincide  perfectly  with  those  of  a 
pastor — while  there  is  a  total  omission  of  any  like  descrip- 
tion of  the  functions  of  a  prelate,  or  of  any  charge  suitable 
to  be  read  to  a  prelate  at  his  consecration.  From  a  seventh 
class,  we  learn  that  the  specific  distinction  of  the  apostolate 
consisted  not  in  the  sole  power  of  government,  but  in  bearing 
witness  of  Chi'ist's  resurrection,  for  which  they  were  quali- 
fied by  having  seen  and  conversed  with  the  Lord,  while 
miraculous  gifls  constituted  their  credentials.  Finally,  we 
directed  attention  to  that  class  of  texts  which  authorizes 
us  to  construct  the  Christian  church  not  afl;er  the  model 
of  the  temple,  but  of  the  synagogue,  in  which  there  was 
a  representative  government — by  a  session  of  elders  chosen 
out  of  rhe  male  members,  together  with  a  bishop  and 
deacons!. 

v2  245 


32  A    PLEA    FOR    PKESBYTERIANISM. 

Such  are  some  of  the  reasons  which  decide  our  eccle- 
siastical preferences.  Many  points  have  been  omitted  for 
the  sake  of  brevity,  as  any  one  at  all  familiar  with  the 
topic  will  have  noticed.  It  does  not  become  us  to  dogma- 
tize, or  to  usurp  for  ourselves  an  infallibility  which  we 
deny  to  others ;  we  therefore  do  not  affirm  that  we  are 
exclusively  and  unqualifiedly  right,  and  all  others  as  abso- 
lutely and  unqualifiedly  wrong ;  but  we  think  we  are  war- 
ranted in  saying  that  when  an  array  of  arguments,  to 
say  the  very  least,  so  plausible,  can  be  presented  in  favour 
of  our  views,  those  who  differ  from  us  ought  to  be  more 
modest  in  their  censures.  We  are  not  totally  destitute  of 
reason  or  of  Scripture. 

Presbyterian  ministers  do  not  indeed  often  obtrude 
their  sectarian  tenets  upon  the  public.  They  are  not  in 
the  habit  of  introducing  them  into  every  sermon,  nor  of 
indulging  in  incessant  laudations  of  their  own  church- 
peculiarities  ;  but  it  is  not  because  they  are  defenceless. 
Their  silence  is  prompted  by  higher  reasons.  They  look 
on  these  external  matters  as  of  second-rate  importance;  as 
the  scaffold  is  useful  to  the  construction  of  the  temple, 
but  is  not  itself  the  temple.  That  is  built  of  "  lively 
stones,"  of  spiritual  worshippers.  Hence  they  are  fonder 
of  dwelling  on  the  fundamental  doctrines  and  practical 
duties  of  the  gospel,  "  what  we  are  to  believe  concerning 
God,  and  what  duties  God  requires  of  us."  Let  others 
make  broad  their  phylacteries,  and  tithe  the  mint,  anise, 
and  cummin  ;  and  count  every  pin,  and  loop,  and  tassel, 
of  the  tabernacle ;  be  our  eye  fixed  on  the  weightier 
matters  of  the  law,  justice,  mercy,  and  truth.  We  hold 
to  no  superstitious  amulets,  or  mystic  rites,  like  the  prayer- 
mills  of  the  Tartars  ;  we  acknowledge  no  magic  charm  in 
the  sacraments  to  sanctify  or  save ;  we  preach  repentance 
toward  God,  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  ne- 
cessity of  a  complete  and  thorough  regeneration  of  the 
soul  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  These  are  the 
weapons  of  our  warfare,  not  carnal,  but  spiritual,  and, 
under  God,  mighty  to  the  pulling  down  of  Satan's  strong- 
holds. 

I  remark  in  conclusion, 

1.  It  appears  that  the  Head  of  the  Church  has  not  left 

the  company  of  believers  without  a  v/holesome  form  of 

government.      There   are   constituted    authorities    in   the 

church,  who  are  to   "  rule,"  not  capriciously,  not  arbi- 

246 


A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTERIANISM.  33 

trarily,  but  according  to  fixed  and  definite  principles  easily 
collected  from  the  scriptures.  The  church  is  not  a  mere 
voluntary  association,  at  liberty  to  adopt  any  form  of 
government,  or  none,  at  pleasure.  It  is  voluntary  only  in 
so  far,  that  no  one  can  be  compelled  to  be  or  remain  in  it, 
against  his  will ;  but  no  further.  It  is  an  organization,  the 
schedule  of  which,  in  its  main  features,  is  prescribed  by 
the  authority  of  Christ. 

Discipline  is  indispensable  to  the  purity  and  efficiency 
of  a  church,  as  of  any  society.  To  entrust  its  administra- 
tion to  a  single  man,  would  be  unwise  ;  for  if  he  were  timid, 
he  would  be  afraid  to  discipline  at  all ;  if  he  were  intrepid, 
he  might  abuse  his  power  to  domineer.  To  entrust  it  to 
the  whole  congregation,  would  expose  it  to  the  caprice, 
rashness,  or  prejudice,  which  characterize,  at  times,  all 
popular  assemblies.  A  representative  government  is  there- 
fore the  wisest ;  in  which  the  democratic  principle  has  suffi- 
cient scope  in  electing  the  officers,  while  self-interest  will 
ordinarily  make  choice  of  the  most  capable.  We  readily 
find  parallels  in  civil  governments.  We  see  it  in  the  Demo- 
gerontes  of  the  Greeks,  or  council  of  old  men ;  in  the 
Senators  of  Rome,  or  old  men,  (from  senez,  an  old  man,) 
in  the  Aldermen,  or  elder-men,  of  the  Saxons  ;  in  the  Elders 
of  the  municipal  councils  of  the  Hebrews.  The  qualifica- 
tion of  age,  implying  wisdom  and  experience,  has  always 
been  pre-eminently  signified  by  the  appellation. 

A  bench  of  elders,  a  parochial  presbytery,  a  little  senate, 
in  every  congregation,  chosen  and  picked  out  of  the  whole 
number  by  solemn  vote ;  men  who  are  past  the  levity  of 
youth  ;  grave  and  dignified  in  their  manners ;  able  to 
command  respect ;  of  good  judgment  and  common  sense  ; 
sustaining  a  reputable  character ;  of  solid  talents  and 
scriptural  information ;  of  undoubted  piety  and  zeal ;  and 
of  an  active,  leading,  practical  turn;  such  a  bench  of  elders 
must  be  an  acquisition  to  any  church.  They  constitute  a 
powerful  check  against  the  encroachments  of  clerical  am- 
bition, and  the  caprices  of  turbulent  anarchy.  They  will 
form  a  noble  corps  of  assistants  to  the  pastor  in  spiritual 
affairs,  and  the  grand  balance  wheel  of  the  ecclesiasti- 
cal machine. 

If  God  has  cast  your  lines  in  such  pleasant  places,  and 
given  you  so  goodly  a  heritage,  withhold  not  the  gratitude 
that  is  due  him  for  the  privileges  you  enjoy.  Prize  them 
highly,  and  cling  to  them  with  conscientious  tenacity.    But 

247 


34  A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTERIANISM. 

above  all,  forget  not,  I*  implore  you,  that  it  will  matter 
little  to  you,  what  sect  is  most  scriptural  in  its  order,  or  on 
whose  register  you  stand  enrolled,  if  your  name  be  omit- 
ted from  "  the  church  of  the  first  born,  whose  names  are 
written  in  heaven." 

2.  Since  there  are  regularly  constituted  rulers  in  Christ's 
church  by  his  appointment,  it  follows,  that  deference,  respect, 
and  obedience,  are  legitimately  due  to  them.  We  would 
reiterate  the  entreaty  of  the  apostle  :  "  We  beseech  you, 
brethren,  to  recognize  them  which  labour  among  you,  and 
are  over  you  in  the  Lord,  and  admonish  you :  and  to 
esteem  them  very  highly  in  love  for  their  work's  sake." 
These  superintendents  are  of  your  own  selection,  and  thence 
entitled  to  your  confidence ;  and  their  office  is  to  watch  and 
labour  for  your  spiritual  edification.  Co-operate,  there- 
fore, with  them ;  facilitate  their  labours ;  sustain  their  in- 
fluence ;  encourage  their  hearts.  Repose  in  them  the  same 
confidence  that  the  flock  repose  in  their  shepherd,  the 
family  in  their  father.  «  And  live,"  the  apostle  has  added, 
"  live  in  peace  with  one  another."  How  unlovely,  how  un- 
attractive a  spectacle  does  that  church  present,  within 
whose  bosom  are  seen  contention,  strife,  jealousy,  wrang- 
ling, insubordination,  schism !  The  house  that  is  divided 
against  itself,  is  near  its  fall.  But  when  peace,  harmony, 
and  order  prevail,  "  How  goodly  are  thy  tents,  O  Jacob, 
and  thy  tabernacles,  O  Israel !  As  the  valleys  are  they 
spread  forth,  as  gardens  by  the  river's  side,  as  the  trees  of 
lign-aloes  which  the  Lord  hath  planted,  and  as  cedar  trees 
beside  the  waters."  Then  the  church  looks  forth  lovely  as 
the  morning,  with  the  clearness  of  the  sun,  tempered  with 
the  fairness  of  the  moon,  and  terrible  to  her  enemies  "  as 
an  army  with  banners,"  well  disciplined,  well  officered,  and 
animated  by  one  common  spirit. 

3.  I  cannot  take  leave  of  this  subject,  without  a  moment's 
affectionate  expostulation  with  a  class  of  readers,  both 
numerous,  and  in  many  respects  estimable,  but  who  seem 
to  think  all  their  duty  discharged  by  a  decent  respect  for 
the  institutions  of  the  church,  a  regular  attendance  in  the 
house  of  God,  and  a  proportional  contribution  for  the  sup- 
port  and  furtherance  of  the  gospel.  Allow  me  to  uige 
upon  you,  my  friends,  to  advance  a  step  further.  Stand 
no  longer  in  the  outer  court.  Dismiss  indifference  and 
irresolution,  and  cast  in  your  lot  with  ours.  "  Come  with 
us,  and  we  will  do  you  good,  for  the  Lord  hath  spoken 

248 


A    PLEA    FOR    PRESBYTERIANISM.  35 

good  concerning  Israel."  Will  you,  like  the  workmen  of 
Noah,  be  content  to  assist  in  building  an  ark  in  which  you 
yourselves  decline  taking  refuge?  Oh,  that  you  would  be 
persuaded,  before  the  storm  rises,  and  the  billows  swell 
with  terrific  roar,  to  accept  the  offered  shelter  !  Then  may 
you  outride  the  storm,  and  land  safely  in  the  haven  of  per- 
petual peace.  Ponder  the  solemn  words  of  Christ,  "  If 
any  man  be  ashamed  of  me  and  my  words,  of  him  shall 
the  Son  of  Man  be  ashamed,  when  he  shall  come  in  his  own 
glory,  and  in  his  Father's,  and  of  the  holy  angels." 


THE    END. 


Stereotvpfd  by 

S.  nOUGLAS  WIETH, 

No.  7  fear  St.  Philadelphia. 


249 


A    CASTAWAY. 


BY    THE 

REV.  ROBERT  MURRAY  McCHEYNE. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION 


251 


A  CASTAWAY 


WHAT  IS  IT  TO  BE  CAST  AWAY? 

I.  Wicked  men  shall  be  cast  away  by  God. 

Matthew  XXV.  41,  "Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed;" 
2  Thess.  i.  9,  "Who  shall  be  punished  with  everlasting 
destruction  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  from 
the  glory  of  his  power." 

1.  Away  from  Christ. — At  present  ungodly  men 
are  often  near  to  Christ.  Christ  stands  at  their  door 
and  knocks.  He  stretches  out  his  hands  to  them  all 
the  day  long.  He  speaks  to  them  in  the  Bible  and 
the  preached  gospel.  He  says.  Come  unto  me,  and  I 
will  give  you  rest.  Him  that  cometh  unto  me  I  will 
in  no  wise  cast  out.  But  when  Christ  pronounces 
that  sentence,  "Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,"  there 
will  not  be  one  knock  more — not  one  invitation  more 
— ^not  one  sweet  offer  more.  Christ  is  the  only  way 
to  the  Father ;  but  it  shall  be  then  closed  for  ever. 
Christ  is  the  only  door ;  but  it  shall  then  be  shut  for 
ever  more.  It  is  the  blessedness  of  the  redeemed  that 
they  shall  be  with  Christ.  "To-day  shalt  thou  be 
with  me.  Having  a  desire  to  be  absent  from  the 
body  and  pgiesent  with  the  Lord.  So  shall  they  be 
ever  loith  the  Lord.  His  servants  shall  serve  him, 
and  they  shall  see  his  face.''''  It  is  this  that  maintains 
the  eternal  calm  in  the  bosom  of  the  redeemed.  But 
the  ungodly  shall  be  cast  away  from  all  this.  "Bind 
'him  hand  and  foot  and  cast  him  into  outer  darkness." 

2.  Away  from  God. — True,  the  wicked  can  never 
be  cast  away  from  the  presence  of  God.  Ps.  cxxxix. 
8,  "  If  I  make  my  bed  in  hell,  behold  thou  art  there." 
Job  says,  "  Hell  is  naked  before  him,  and  destruction 

2  252 


A  CASTAWAY.  3 

hath  no  covering,"  (xxvi.  6).  His  almighty  power 
creates  it,  His  breath  kindles  it.  Isaiah  xxx.  33,  "  The 
breath  of  tiie  Lord,  hke  a  stream  of  brimstone,  doth 
kindle  it."     But  they  shall  be  banished. 

First.  From  the  possession  of  God. — God  said  to 
Abraham,  "I  am  thy  shield  and  thine  exceeding  great 
reward."  God  makes  himself  over  to  the  beheving 
soul,  saying,  I  will  be  thy  God.  David  says,  God  is 
the  strength  of  my  heart,  and  my  portion  for  ever. 
Who  can  tell  the  joy  of  those  who  enjoy  God — who 
have  God — the  infinite  God — as  their  portion  ?  From 
this  the  Christless  shall  be  cast  away.  You  will  have 
no  portion  in  God.  God  will  not  be  your  God.  His 
attributes  will  be  all  against  you. 

Second.  From  the  favour  of  God. — "  In  thy  favour 
is  life."  The  favour  of  God  is  what  believers  feel  on 
earth.  A  beam  of  God's  countenance  is  enough  to 
fill  the  heart  of  a  believer  to  overflowing.  It  is  enough 
to  light  up  the  pale  cheek  of  a  dying  saint  with  sera- 
phic brightness,  and  make  the  heart  of  the  lone  widow 
sing  for  joy.  From  all  this  the  Christless  shall  be 
cast  away  for  ever;  and  instead  of  it  Jehovah's 
frown  shall  light  on  them  for  ever.  "It  is  a  fearful 
thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  living  God." 

Third.  Cast  away  from  the  blessing  of  God. — God 
is  the  fountain  of  all  blessing.  No  creature  is  good  or 
pleasant  any  more  than  God  makes  it  to  be  so.  The 
sun  warms  us — our  fopd  nourishes  us — our  friends 
are  pleasant  to  us — because  God  made  them  so.  All 
the  joys  in  the  world  are  but  beams  from  that  un- 
created light.  But  separate  a  man  from  God,  and  all 
becomes  dark.  God  is  the  fountain  of  all  joy.  Sepa- 
rate a  man  from  God  finally,  and  no  creature  can 
give  him  joy.  This  is  to  be  cast  away,  cut  off  from 
God  for  ever  and  ever.  Though  there  were  no  lake 
of  fire,  this  of  itself  would  be  hell. 

II.  Wicked  men  shall  be  cast  away  by  the 
Holy  Spirit. 

It  is  not  often  thought  of,  but  it  is  true,  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  now  dealing  and  striving  with  natural 
W  253 


4  A  CASTAWAY. 

men.  All  the  decency  and  morality  of  unconverted 
men  is  to  be  attributed  to  the  restraining  grace  of  the 
Holy  Spirit. 

1.  The  Holy  Spirit  works  on  natural  men  through 
the  ordinances. — The  ordinance  of  family  worship  is 
often  greatly  blessed  to  restrain  wicked  children,  so 
that  they  are  kept  from  vicious  courses  and  outbreak- 
ing sins.  The  ordinance  of  the  read  and  preached 
word  is  also  greatly  blessed  in  this  way  to  restrain 
wicked  men.  The  awful  threatenings  of  the  word — 
the  sweet  invitations  and  promises  of  the  gospel — 
have  this  effect  on  unconverted  men,  that  they  are 
greatly  restrained  from  going  to  extreme  lengths  in 
wickedness. 

2.  The  Holy  Spirit  also  works  through  providences 
in  restraining  wicked  ?7ze;i.— He  places  them  in  such 
circumstances  that  they  cannot  sin  as  they  otherwise 
would  do.  He  often  reduces  them  to  poverty,  so  that 
they  cannot  run  into  the  vices  they  Vv^ere  inclined  unto ; 
or  he  lays  sickness  on  their  body,  so  that  their  keen 
relish  for  sin  is  greatly  blunted ;  or  he  terrifies  them 
by  bereavements,  so  that  they  are  kept  in  the  bondage 
of  fear,  and  dare  not  sin  with  so  high  a  hand  as  they 
otherwise  would  do. 

3.  The  Holy  Spirit  also  restrains  through  convic- 
tions of  sin. — Many  men  have  deep  wounds  and  con- 
victions who  are  never  saved.  Many  are  pierced  with 
arrows  of  the  word  from  tirne  to  time,  and  then  are 
driven  away  from  their  wicked  companions  and  saved 
from  open  sin.  Restraining  grace  is  an  amazing  work 
of  God.  It  is  more  wonderful  than  his  setting  a 
hound  to  the  sea  that  it  cannot  pass  over.  Think 
what  a  hell  every  unconverted  bosom  would  become, 
if  the  Spirit  were  to  withdraw  and  give  men  over  to 
their  own  heart's  lusts.  Think  what  a  hell  an  un- 
converted family  would  become,  if  the  Spirit  were  to 
withdraw  his  bands.  What  hatreds,  strifes,  murders, 
would  take  place !  Think  what'a  hell  this  world  would 
become,  if  every  Christless  man  were  given  over  to 
the  lasts  of  his  own  heart. 

Now  this  is  to  be '  a  castaway.     Gen.  vi.  3,  "  My 
254 


A  CASTAWAY.  5 

Spirit  shall  not.  always  strive  with  man.'^  The  Holy 
Spirit,  I  believe,  strives  with  all  men;  Acts  vii.  51, 
"  Ye  do  always  resist  the  Holy  Ghost ;"  but  he  will 
not  always  strive.  When  the  day  of  grace  is  done — 
when  the  sinner  sinks  into  hell — the  Spirit  will  strive 
no  more. 

First.  The  Spirit  will  strive  no  more  through  ordi- 
nances. There  will  be  no  family  worship  in  hell — 
no  Bibles  read — no  Psalms  sung.  There  will  be  no 
Sabbath  in  hell — no  preached  gospel — no  watchman 
to  warn  you  of  your  sin  and  danger.  The  voice  of 
the  watchman  v/ill  be  silent — the  danger  has  come — 
your  doom  will  be  past,  and  no 'room  for  repentance. 

Second.  The  Spirit  will  no  more  strive  through  pro- 
vidences. There  will  be  no  more  poverty  or  riches — • 
no  more  sickness  or  bereavements — no  kindly  provi- 
dences restraining  the  soul  from  sin — nothing  but 
anguish  and  despair  unutterable. 

Third.  There  will  be  no  more  convictions  by  the  Spi- 
rit. Conscience  will  condemn,  but  it  will  not  restrain. 
Your  hearts  will  then  break  out.  All  your  hatred  to 
God,  the  fountains  of  contempt  and  blasphemy  in 
your  heart,  will  be  all  broken  up.  You  will  blaspheme 
the  God  of  heaven.  All  your  lusts  and  impurities  that 
have  been  pent  up  and  restrained  by  restraining  grace 
and  the  fear  of  man,  will  burst  forth  with  amazing 
impetuosity.  You  will  be  as  wicked  and  blasphemous 
as  the  devils  around  you. 

0  the  misery  of  sin !  it  is  an  evil  thing  and  bitter. 
The  way  of  transgressors  is  hard.  Ah  !  sinners,  you 
will  yet  find  sin  the  hardest  of  all  masters — you  will 
yet  find  your  grovelling  lusts  to  be  worse  than  the 
worm  that  never  dies.  "  He  that  is  unjust,  let  him*  be 
unjust  still.''   Rev.  xxii.  11. 

in.  Wicked  men  shall  be  #|^st  away  by  all 

THE  CREATURES. 

The  state  of  unconverted  men  at  present,  although 
a  very  dreadful  one,  is  yet  not  hopeless.  The  angels 
watch  the  unconverted,  to  see  if  there  is  any  sign  of 
repentance.     It  is  believed  that  the  holy  angels  are 

•255 


6  A  CASTAWAY. 

present  in  the  assembly  of  God's  worshippers.  1  Tim 
V.  21.  And  if  so,  no  doubt  they  watch  your  faces,  to 
see  if  a  tear  starts  into  your  eye,  or  a  prayer  trembles 
on  your  lip.  There  would  be  joy  this  day  among  the 
angels,  if  one  sinner  was  to  repent. 

The  redeemed  on  earth  are  peculiarly  interested  in 
unconverted  souls.  They  pray  for  them  night  and 
day,  many  of  them  with  tears ;  many  a  child  of  God 
wets  his  pillow  with  tears  m  behalf  of  perishing 
souls.  Jeremiah  wept  in  secret  places  for  their  pride. 
David  says,  Rivers  of  waters  run  down  mine  eyes. 
They  wish  your  conversion  more  than  any  personal 
benefit.  Ministers  are  set  apart  to  seek  after  lost  and 
perishing  souls.  "  Go  rather  to  the  lost  sheep  of  the 
house  of  Israel."  If  ministers  are  like  their  Master, 
this  will  be  their  great  errand — "that  by  all  means  we 
may  save  some."  But  when  the  day  of  grace  is  past, 
all  holy  creatures  will  cast  you  away.  "  Reprobate 
silver  shall  men  call  them,  for  the  Lord  hath  rejected 
them." 

The  angels  will  no  longer  take  any  interest  in  you. 
They  will  know  that  it  is  not  fit  they  should  pity  you 
any  more.  You  will  be  tormented  in  the  presence 
of  the  holy  angels,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  Lamb. 

The  redeemed  will  no  longer  pray  for  you,  nor 
shed  another  tear  for  you.  They  will  see  you  con- 
demned in  the  judgment,  and  not  put  in  one  word  for 
you.  They  will  see  you  depart  into  everlasting  iire, 
and  yet  not  pray  for  you.  They  will  see  the  smoke 
of  your  torments  going  up  for  ever  and  ever,  and  yet 
cry,  AUeluiah ! 

Ministers  will  no  more  desire  your  salvation..  It 
will  no  more  be  their  work.  The  number  of  the 
saved  will  be  complete  without  you ;  the  table  will  be 
full.  Ministers  will  bear  witness  against  you  in  that 
day.  4.- 

Even  devils  will  cast  you  off.  As  long  as  you 
remain  on  earth,  the  devil  keeps  you  by  his  side ;  he 
flatters  you,  and  gives  you  many  tokens  of  his  friend- 
ship and  esteem;  but  soon  he  will  cast  you  off.  You 
will  be  no  longer  pleasant  to  him ;  you  will  be  a  part 
256 


A  CASTAWAY.  7 

of  his  torment;  and  he  will  hate  you  and  torment 
you,  because  you  deceived  him  and  he  deceived  you. 

IV.  Wicked  men  shall  be  cast  away  by  them- 
selves. 

It  is  said,  they  shall  wish  to  die,  and  shall  not  be 
able.  "They  shall  seek  death,  and  death  shall  flee 
from  them."  I  believe  that  some  suicides  experience 
the  beginnings  of  hell.  I  believe  Judas  did ;  he  could 
not  bear  himself,  and  he  tried  to  cast  himself  away. 
This  will  be  the  feeling  of  lost  souls.  They  will  not 
be  able  to  bear  the  sight  of  themselves ;  they  will  be 
weary  of  existence ;  they  will  wish  they  had  never  been. 
At  present,  unconverted  men  are  often  very  self-com- 
placent. They  love  to  employ  their  faculties;  the 
wheels  of  their  life  go  smoothly;  their  aifections  are 
pleasant.  Memory  has  many  pleasant  green  spots  to 
look  back  upon.  How  different  when  the  day  of 
grace  is  done !  The  understanding  will  be  clear  and 
full  to  apprehend  the  real  nature  of  your  misery, 
your  mind  will  then  see  the  holiness  of  God — his 
almightiness — his  majesty.  You  will  see  your  own 
condemned  condition,  and  the  depth  of  your  hell. 
The  will  in  you  will  be  all  contrary  to  God's  will, 
even  though  you  see  it  add  to  your  hell ;  yet  you  will 
hate  all  that  is  God's  law,  and  love  all  that  God  hates. 
Your  conscience  is  God's  vicegerent  in  the  soul.  It 
will  accuse  you  of  all  your  sins.  It  will  set  them  m 
order,  and  condemn  you.  Your  affections  will  still 
love  your  kindred.  "I  have  live  brethren,"  you  will 
say.  Earthly  fathers  who  are  evil  know  how  to  give 
good  gifts  to  their  children.  Even  in  hell  you  will 
love  your  own  kindred ;  but  ah  !  what  misery  it  will 
cost  you,  when  you  hear  them  sentenced  along  with 
you.  Your  memory  will  be  very  clear.  You  will 
remember  all  your  misspent  Sabbaths — ^your  sermons 
heard — ^your  place  in  the  house  of  God- — your  minis- 
ter's face  and  voice — the  bell — though  millions  of 
ages  after  this,  you  will  remember  these,  as  if  yester- 
day. 0  how  you  will  wish  you  had  never  been ! 
How  you  will  wish  to  tear  out  your  memory,  or  these 
w  2  257 


8  A  CASTAWAY. 

tender  affections,  or  your  accusing  conscience  !  You 
will  seek  death,  and  it  will  flee  from  you.  This,  this 
IS  to  be  lost !  This  is  everlasting  destruction !  This 
is  to  be  a  castaway. 

Hell  will  be  intolerable.  I  have  not  spoken  of 
the  lake  of  fire,  of  the  utter  darkness,  and  the  worm 
that  never  dies.  I  have  spoken  only  of  the  mental 
facts  of  hell ;  and  yet  these  by  themselves  are  intoler- 
able. 0  who  can  tell  what  it  will  be,  when  both  meet, 
and  meet  eternally  ?  Who  knows  the  power  of  thine 
anger  ?  0  do  not  keep  away  from  Christ  now.  Now 
he  says.  Come ;  soon,  soon  he  will  say.  Depart.  O 
do  not  resist  the  Holy  Spirit  now.  Now  he  strives, 
but  he  will  not  always  strive  with  you.  Soon,  soon 
he  will  leave  you.  0  do  not  despise  the  word  of 
ministers  and  godly  friends.  Now  they  plead  with 
you,  weep  for  you,  pray  for  you.  Soon,  soon  they 
will  be  silent  as  the  grave.  0  do  not  be  proud  or 
self-admiring.  Soon  you  will  loathe  the  very  sight 
of  yourself,  and  wish  you  had  never  been. 

If  you  would  avoid  so  terrible  a  doom,  flee  to 
Christ— flee  to  Christ  NOW! 


THE  END. 


258 


SYSTEMATIC 


BENEVOLENCE. 


BY  THE 


REV.    D.    V.    SMOCK. 


PHILADELPHIA : 
PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION. 

259 


SYSTEMATIC   BENEVOLENCE 


"  Remember  the  words  of  our  Lord  Jesus,  how  he  said, '  It  is  more  blessed 
to  give  than  to  receive.'  " — Acts  20:  35. 

"On  the  first  day  of  the  week,  let  each  one  of  you  lay  by  him  in  store,  as 
God  hath  prospered  him,  that  there  be  no  gatherings  when  I  come."— 
1  Cor.  16 :  2. 

We  have  in  the  first  of  these  passages  a  memorable  saying 
of  the  blessed  Master  which  the  writers  of  his  life  had  not 
recorded,  but  which  Paul,  under  very  interesting  circum- 
stances, repeats,  and  Luke  hands  down  to  us,  by  placing 
it  in  the  inspired  records.  In  the  second  passage  quoted 
we  have  a  specific  direction  of  Paul  to  the  Corinthians, 
with  regard  to  the  proper  manner  of  discharging  the  duty 
referred  to  in  both  passages,  i.  e.  contributing  money  to 
objects  of  religious  benevolence.  In  the  first  passage,  the 
universality  of  the  duty,  but  especially  the  privilege  of 
giving^  is  presented  :  in  the  second,  the  duty  of  giving 
systematically  is  enjoined. 

Jesus  Christ  is  our  great  pattern  for  imitation.  His 
teaching  we  are  bound  to  receive.  His  injunctions  we  are 
under  the  strongest  obligations  to  obey.  Paul  exhorts  us, 
to  "  follow  him  as  he  followed  Christ."  The  command  in 
the  text  repeated,  is  not  given  by  Paul's  authority  merely, 
but  comes  with  the  authority  of  Paul's  Master.  It  contains 
sufficient  authority  for  collecting  money  for  religious  pur- 
poses, on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  the  Christian  Sabbath, 
as  a  part  of  public  worship  ;  and  a  specific  direction  to 
attend  to  this  business  systematically  and  at  stated  periods. 

Our  Saviour,  in  the  sentiment  quoted  from  him,  repre- 
sents it  as  a  great  privilege  to  give  to  objects  of  religious 
benevolence.     It  is  not  merely  a  duty,  but  there  are  great 

3  261 


4  SYSTEMATIC    BENEVOLENCE. 

advantages  to  the  giver  ; — he  is  "  blessed"  in  the  deed.  It 
is  assumed  that  the  person  who  receives  the  benefaction,  is 
benefitted  by  it.  This  supposition,  on  the  part  of  the  giver, 
at  least,  is  essential  to  the  idea  of  benevolence-  But  the 
advantages  to  the  giver,  are  greater  than  to  the  receiver. 
"  It  is  more  blessed  to  give,  than  to  receive^''  There  is 
^nore  happiness  in  giving. 

From  Paul's  manner  of  repeating  this  declaration  to  the 
Ephesian  Elders,  it  would  seem  to  have  been  very  familiar 
to  the  followers  of  Christ, — one  which  they  had  very  fre- 
quently heard  him  use  when  speaking  of  benevolence,  and 
urging  them  to  give  liberally.  He  reminds  them  of  it,  and 
calls  upon  them  to  remember  this  well-known  saying  of  the 
Lord  Jesus.  That  he  gave  to  benevolent  objects,  though 
poor  in  this  world's  goods,  and  taught  his  disciples  to  do  so, 
is  made  very  clear  by  the  history  of  Jesus.  As  to  his  cir- 
cumstances, he  'had  not  where  to  lay  his  head,'  and  ob- 
tained only  by  miracle  money  to  pay  his  tax  and  that  of  his 
apostles.  Yet  he  had  in  his  little  family  a  Benevolent 
Society,  with  its  regular  treasurer. — The  person  appointed 
treasurer,  probably  by  a  popular  vote,  proved  a  thief,  and 
stole  the  money.  This  circumstance  should  admonish  us 
not  to  entrust  such  funds  to  the  covetous — "  not  to  those 
greedy  of  filthy  lucre." 

It  was  the  practice  of  the  Lord  Jesus  to  direct  funds 
from  their  treasury,  from  time  to  time,  to  be  given  to  the 
poor.  So  common  a  thing  wa^  it  to  make  such  drafts  on 
the  treasury,  that  when  Jesus  at  the  table  told  Judas, 
'  What  thou  doest,  do  quickly,'  the  other  disciples  thought 
he  meant  that  a  donation  should  be  made  to  the  poor. 

This  duty  of  benevolence,  he  taught  constantly,  both  by 
precept  and  example.  The  principal  motive  by  which  he 
enforced  the  duty  seems  to  have  been,  the  advantages  of 
giving.  He  would  have  his  followers,  in  seeking  their  own 
happiness,  to  cultivate  a  spirit  of  benevolence,  and  find 
enjoyment  in  promoting  the  happiness  of  others.  Thus 
they  would  become  like  God,  and  cultivate  the  graces  and 
dispositions  that  promote  real  happiness.  His  own  blessing 
which  maketh  rich  and  addeth  no  sorrow,  would  be  be- 
stowed upon  those  who  gave  from  proper  motives.  So 
that  they  would  be  blessed  indeed.  This  oft-repeated  and 
favourite  expression  was,  <  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to 
receive,''  But  did  his  disciples  believe  him?  Probably 
they  did,  with  the  exception  of  Judas. — He  certainly,  did 
not  believe  a  word  of  it,  as  his  actions  show.  He  evidently 
262 


SYSTEMATIC    BENEVOLENCE.  5 

thought  it  more  blessed  to  receive,  though  by  theft,  than  to 
give. 

^>  How  many  of  his  disciples  noiv,  believe  his  word  ?  Faith 
must  be  manifested  by  works.  The  faith  that  does  not 
produce  works,  "  is  dead,"  or  no  faith  at  all.  Words  are 
cheap,  but  actions  are  the  true  index  of  the  sentiments  of 
the  heart.  "  By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them."  This 
is  a  rule  of  common  sense  as  well  as  of  Scripture.  I  ask 
then, — be  not  startled  at  the  question,  though  it  be  one  of 
solemn  import — I  ask*,  how  many  of  his  professed  disciples 
believe  Jesus  Christ  1  How  many,  believing  it  to  be  more 
blessed  to  give  than  to  receive,  are  constantly  seeking 
opportunities  of  attaining  this  blessedness?  All  men  desire 
to  be  happy,  and  if  they  really  believe  that  giving  has  a 
tendency  to  make  them  happy,  they  will  desire  to  give  ; — 
they  will  give  cheerfully,  joyfully,  unsolicited.  They  will 
not  wait  to  be  asked,  urged,  importuned  to  give.  They 
will  not  wait  for  an  agent  to  call,  and  press,  and  persuade 
them,  and  even  then,  manifest  an  unwillingness  to  give. 
Men  have  not  to  be  urged  and  importuned  to  accept  of  hap- 
piness, or  to  do  what  tJiey  believe  will  contribute  to  their 
enjoyment.     You  have  not  to  force  a  hungry  man  to  eat. 

Occasionally,  to  be  sure — and  to  the  praise  of  God's 
grace  be  it  said — we  hear  of  a  father  or  mother  in  Israel, 
coming  to  their  pastor,  or  elder,  or  deacon  with  a  few  dol- 
lars, asking  to  have  it  appropriated  to  the  cause  of  missions, 
or  some  other  object  of  religious  benevolence.  There  are 
some  who  seem  to  "enjoy  the  luxury  of  giving;"  and  plan 
and  labour,  that  they  may  be  able  to  give.  But,  alas,  so 
rare  are  such  cases,  that  such  persons  are  looked  upon  as 
singular.  Do  our  church  members  and  officers  generally, 
believe  that  it  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive  ?  Do 
not  many  rather  regard  it  as  a  happy  escape,  if  the  col 
lector  should  pass  them  by,  or  they  should  happen  to  be 
absent  when  a  collection  is  taken !  The  agent  does  not 
call,  and  it  is  regarded  as  so  much  saved — a  clear  gain — 
and  he  gives  himself  no  further  concern  about  it !  And  how 
do  our  congregations  feel  and  act?  They  are  but  the 
aggregate  of  the  members  ;  and  the  feelings  of  the  members 
are  the  feelings  of  the  church.  The  agents  of  our  Boards 
fail  to  call  on  a  particular  church,  and  for  that  very  reason, 
often,  no  collection  is  made.  Now  if  they  regarded  it  as  a 
*'  blessed"  privilege  to  give,  would  they  forego  the  privilege, 
because  no  agent  visits  them  ?  Certainly  not.  Pastors  often 
neglect  their  duty  of  pleading  the  cause  of  benevolence  before 
1  *  263 


6  SYSTEMATIC    BENEVOLENCE. 

their  people,  and  inviting  them  to  give  ; — it  may  be,  in  some 
cases,  because  they  do  not  consider  it  "  more  blessed  to 
give,"  and  are  therefore  not  ready  to  set  their  people  an 
example  in  that  respect, — but  no  collection  is  taken  ; — and 
do  the  people  complain  of  the  pastor  for  neglecting  his 
duty,  and  not  affording  them  the  privilege  of  giving?  Are 
they  not  more  apt  to  find  fault  when  he  does  his  duty  ;  tells 
them  it  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive,  and  invites 
them  to  enjoy  the  privilege  of  giving?  Do  they  believe 
the  saying  of  Jesus  Christ  ? 

Suppose  the  elders  and  deacons  neglect  to  make  any 
arrangement,  for  taking  a  collection  :  do  the  church  mem- 
bers chide  them  for  neglecting  their  duty  in  reminding  them 
of  the  privilege  of  giving?  Are  they  not  more  apt  to  be 
blamed  when  they  conscientiously  fulfil,  to  some  good  ex- 
tent, their  offices,  and  have  these  matters  all  attended  to 
with  order  and  regularity  ? 

When  a  collection  is  taken,  if  every  man  were  allowed 
the  choice  either  to  give  or  receive  according  to  his  views 
of  the  relative  advantages  of  each ;  he  who  regards  it  as 
more  blessed  to  give,  would  give,  and  he  who  thinks  it 
more  blessed  to  receive, — provided  it  were  considered  right 
and  honourable — would  receive.  We  have  something  like 
this  test,  in  the  arrangements  of  our  Board  of  Missions. 
Those  congregations  that  are  able  to  give,  are  invited  to  do 
so,  in  order  that  those  which  need  aid,  may  receive  it. 
Now  how  many  congregations,  able  to  support  their  own 
pastors  and  assist  others,  are  yet  willing  to  receive  rather 
than  give  !  It  must  be,  because  they  think  it  better,  more 
advantageous,  more  blessed,  to  receive  than  to  give. 
Again :  the  faith  of  congregations,  with  regard  to  giving 
and  receiving,  will  be  tested  by  the  building  fund  of  the 
"  Church-extension  Scheme."  The  design  is,  that  needy 
congregations  shall  receive,  while  others  give,  for  the  erec- 
tion of  houses  of  worship.  But  if  any  apply  for  a  share  of 
the  fund,  who  ought  to  contribute  to  it,  it  will  be  because 
they  think  it  better  to  receive  than  to  give. 

It  is  not  necessary  now  to  stop  long,  to  show  that  it  is  the 
duty  and  privilege  of  all  to  give  to  objects  of  religious 
benevolence.  Benevolence  is  of  the  very  nature  of  the  re- 
ligion of  Christ.  His  own  holy  heart  was  full  of  benevo- 
lence, which  led  him  to  the  most  astonishing  self-denial. 
He  divested  himself  of  the  riches  and  glory  of  heaven,  and 
became  poor  and  despised,  because  of  the  overflowings  of 
compassion  in  his  benevolent  soul.  His  spirit  must  be  pos- 
264 


SYSTEMATIC    BENEVOLENCE.  7 

sessed,  and  his  example  imitated  by  all  his  disciples.     "  If 
any  man  have  not  tlie  spirit  of  Christy  he  is  none  of  his.'''' 

To  be  a  follower  of  Christ,  or,  in  other  words,  to  be  a 
Christian,  implies  necessarily  the  imitating  of  his  example. 
The  disciple  may  be  poor  and  destitute,  as  was  his  Master, 
but  yet  he  may  have  the  blessedness  of  giving.  It  is  re- 
*quired  of  him  according  to  what  he  hath,  and  not  accord- 
ing to  what  he  hath  not.  There  is  less  required  where 
only  one  talent  is  given  than  where  there  are  two,  five  or 
ten.  But  that  one  talent  must  not  be  buried  in  the  earth. 
Each  one  is  required  to  improve  what  he  has,  as  he  shall 
answer  when  his  Lord  comes  to  reckon  with  him  and  de- 
mand an  account  of  his  stewardship. 

There  are  many  and  weighty  reasons  urging  every  mem- 
ber of  the  Church  of  Christ  to  give  cheerfully  and  liberally 
to  the  cause  of  religion.  The  preaching  of  the  gospel  to 
every  creature,  is  made  the  imperative  duty  of  the  Church. 
She  must  give  the  gospel  to  the  whole  world.  "  How  shall 
they  hear  without  a  preacher  ?  And  how  shall  they  preach 
except  they  be  sent  ?"  No  duty  is  more  plainly  enjoined 
in  the  New  Testament,  than  that  of  supporting  the  ministry, 
and  the  means  of  grace  in  general.  The  training  of  men 
for  the  ministry,  and  supporting  them  in  destitute  places, 
and  using  all  appointed  and  proper  means  of  spreading  re- 
ligion and  converting  the  world,  are  the  solemn  duty  of  the 
Church  of  Christ.  Who  but  an  infidel  would  deny  it  ? 
This  is  her  high  calling — the  grand  purpose  of  her  organi- 
zation. But  what  can  the  Church  do,  except  through  her 
members  ?  It  is  necessarily  implied  that  each  of  her  mem- 
bers must  feel  his  individual  obligation,  and  do  his  part  by 
labours  and  contributions.  No  individual,  old  or  young, 
male  or  female,  can  escape  the  responsibility.  But  can  the 
disciple  of  Christ  desire  to  avoid  such  a  responsibility  ? 
Can  the  redeemed  sinner  be  destitute  of  gratitude  to  his  Re- 
deemer, and  of  zeal  for  his  glory  ?  Can  the  renewed  soul 
be  devoid  of  compassion  for  his  fellow  men  ?  Can  he  think 
of  the  love  of  Christy  who  became  poor,  that  lost  men  might 
become  rich,  and  not  feel  constrained  by  it  to  imitate  his 
Master's  example  and  give  cheerfully  and  liberally  ? 

Whatever  moving  and  constraining  motives  drawn  from 
the  love  of  God  and  zeal  for  his  glory,  and  the  miserable 
condition  of  a  dying  world,  can  be  presented,  vjught  to  have 
their  due  influence  on  the  hearts  and  lives  of  all  the  disci- 
ples of  the  Lord  Jesus.  But  if  they  can  be  persuaded — • 
fully  persuaded — that  Jesus  spoke  the  truth  when  he  said, 
X  265 


8  SYSTEMATIC    BENEVOLENCE. 

*  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive,'  no  other  motive 
will  be  needed.  They  will  then  give,  cheerfully,  abun- 
dantly.    They  cannot  be  restrained  from  giving. 

The  history  of  his  Church  proves  the  truth  of  this  saying 
of  Jesus.  Where  is  the  Church  that  has  given  regularly 
and  liberally  to  benevolent  objects,  and  cherished  a  deep 
interest  in  the  general  cause  of  religion,  that  has  not  been' 
richly  blessed  in  spiritual  gifts?  Or,  where  shall  we  find 
the  individual  Christian  who  has  thus  felt  and  acted,  who 
had  not  proportionably  grown  in  grace  and  enjoyed  the 
rich  consolations  of  the  gospel  of  Christ  ?  Here  it  is  em- 
phatically true, — and  it  is  a  blessed  truth — that  "  there  is 
that  giveth  and  yet  increaseth."  It  is  a  glorious  truth,  that 
"  he  that  watereth,  shall  be  watered  also  himself!"  How 
many  "  liberal  souls  have  thug  been  made  fat  I"  There  are 
at  least  some  that  sow  bountifully,  and  according  to  God's 
gracious  promise,  "  reap  also  bountifully." 

Besides  these  better,  spiritual  blessings,  we  are  authorized 
to  conclude  that  temporal  blessings  shall  be  bestowed  where 
Christian  liberality  abounds.  "  He  that  hath  pity  on  the 
poor,  lendeth  to  the  Lord,  mid  that  ivhich  lie  hath  given, 
will  He  pay  him  again^  Those  are  emphatically  ^'■poor'''' 
who  are  destitute  of  religious  privileges  and  advantages. 
They  will  not  be  defrauded  who  lend  their  funds  to  the 
Lord.  Assuredly,  he  will  repay  it,  often,  in  kind.  Many 
facts  in  the  private  history  of  individual  Christians,  show, 
that  the  Lord  often  repays  in  the  kind  that  ivas  lent,  in 
addition  to  spiritual  blessings.  There  is  no  danger  of 
Christians  becoming  poor  by  lending  to  the  Lord,  or  giving 
liberally  to  religious  objects.  No  one  who  is  willing  to 
trust  the  Lord,  need  fear  coming  to  want  in  consequence. 
But  on  the  contrary,  how  many  are  "  cursed  in  their 
basket  and  in  their  store,"  and  cursed  with  spiritual  poverty 
and  leanness  of  soul,  for  the  sin  of  covetousness  !  "  There 
is  that  withholdeth  more  than  is  meet,  and  it  tendeth  to 
poverty."  The  churches  that  do  little  or  nothing  for  ob- 
jects of  religious  benevolence,  feel  but  little  interest  in  the 
spread  of  religion,  care  but  little  for  the  conversion  of  the 
world,  are  in  a  dwindling,  unpromising,  generally  in  a 
dying  state.  They  are  like  the  heath  in  the  desert — ^like 
the  mountains  of  Gilboa — they  are  without  rain  or  dew — 
without  verdure  or  life.  "  Ichabod"  is  written  upon  them 
— the  glory  is  departed.  The  blighting  curse  of  the  Lord 
is  upon  them,  for  they  "  have  robbed  God."  Nor  need  they 
expect  his  blessing  until  they  bring  "  the  tithes  into  his 
266 


SYSTEMATIC    BENEVOLENCE.  9 

storehouse."  The  strength  and  vigour  of  living  piety  is  not 
only  manifested,  but  increased,  by  active  efforts  to  spread 
itself  over  the  world.  Religion  is,  in  its  very  nature,  diffu- 
sive. Like  leaven,  it  will  operate  and  extend  itself,  where 
it  really  exists.     It  cannot  even  live,  without  action. 

Truly,  truly  "it  is  more  blessed  to  give,  than  to  receive," 
even  in  this  world.  He  that  "  honoureth  the  Lord  with 
his  substance,  and  with  the  first  fruit  of  his  increase,"  may 
confidently  expect  the  gracious  approval  and  blessing  of  the 
God  of  providence  and  grace. 

As  it  is  the  undoubted  duty  and  privilege  of  all  to  give, 
it  is  a  question  of  great  practical  importance.  What  method 
shall  be  pursued  in  collecting  the  contributions  of  the 
churches  1  Or  shall  there  be  anij  system  1  Paul  lays  down 
a  plan  or  system,  in  the  passage  already  quoted  from  his 
first  epistle  to  the  Corinthians.  The  plan  is  wise,  simple 
and  practicable.  He  directs  that  contributions  be  regularly 
and  systematically  made  at  stated  times.  In  that  particular 
church  in  the  city  of  Corinth,  it  was  expedient  and  proper 
that  the  collection  should  be  weekly.  The  same  direction 
he  says  he  had  previously  given  the  churches  of  Galatia. 
The  circumstances  and  mode  of  life  of  the  members,  ren- 
dered it  practicable,  and  probably  not  very  inconvenient,  to 
make  a  weekly  collection.  In  this  respect  it  may  be  dif- 
ferent in  other  churches.  But  the  principle  laid  down,  we 
think  for  all  churches,  is,  ihsii  tlwre  must  he  fixed  'periods^ 
more  or  less  remote,  of  which  all  shall  be  apprized,  when 
all  are  to  have  their  contributions  ready.  The  amount  to 
be  given  by  each,  is  not  definitely  fixed, — as  it  was  under 
the  old  dispensation,  at  one  tenth — yet  Paul  gives  us  a  rule. 
The  amount  is  to  be  graduated  by  the  prosperity  that  the 
Lord  has  given.  Every  man  is  to  examine  into  his  affairs 
at  stated  periods,  make  his  calculations,  and  give  according 
to  what  God  has  given  him.  If  the  Lord  has  prospered 
him  but  little,  he  may  give  but  little  ;  if  he  has  been  much 
prospered,  he  is  to  give  accordingly:  if  the  Lord  has  not 
prospered  him  at  all — given  him  nothing — he  has  nothing 
to  give.  The  direction  is,  "  as  God  hath  prospered  him." 
Whatever  he  possesses  as  a  steward,  is  owing  to  the  pros- 
perity which  the  Lord,  the  owner,  has  granted  him ;  and 
the  amount  which  he  is  at  any  one  time  to  return,  he  must 
himself  determine,  as  he  shall  answer  when  he  gives  an 
account  of  his  stewardship.  Jehovah  himself  settled  the 
point  by  a  law  of  the  old  dispensation,  that  men  could  aford 
to  give  one  tenth  of  their  increase  for  religious  purposes. 

267 


10  SYSTEMATIC    BENEVOLENCE. 

But  now  they  are  to  determine  the  amount  they  will  give 
for  themselves.  If  they  think  the  privileges  of  the  Christ- 
ian Church  less  valuable  than  those  of  the  Jewish  dispensa- 
tion, they  will  give  less  :  if  they  think  them  more  valuable, 
let  them  give  in  proportion.  Let  *'  each  one  give  as  God 
hath  prospered  him."  Let  the  proportion  be  according  to 
their  various  estimates  of  their  privileges  and  obligations. 
If  they  estimate  these  aright,  and  believe  it  more  blessed  to 
give  than  to  receive,  they  will  give  liberally.  Paul  had  no 
fears  that  too  much  would  be  given — though  the  churches 
of  Macedonia  had  once  been  willing  to  go  beyond  their 
ability — but  took  it  for  granted,  that  the  demand  will  always 
exceed  the  supply.  Let  there  be  a  perfect  system  in  the 
matter,  every  one  laying  by  him  weekly,  and  giving  from 
principle,  and  waiting  not  for  a  special  call,  and  moving 
appeal.  He  would  thus  guard  against  the  plan,  so  common 
and  so  injurious,  of  depending  on  special  and  moving  appeals, 
which  cause  an  impulsive  and  spasmodic  action.  He  would 
have  the  church  act  from  principle,  and  make  the  "  collec- 
tion for  the  saints"  the"  regular  business  of  every  week. 
He  would  have  Christians  give  regularly  to  benevolent 
objects,  from  a  sense  of  duty,  according  to  rule,  and  at 
stated  times. 

Paul  was  now  filling  the  place  of  a  general  agent  for 
benevolent  purposes,  and  writes  to  the  church  beforehand 
to  be  ready  for  him  when  he  should  visit  Corinth.  "  1  in- 
tend to  make  you  a  call  in  due  time,  and  receive  your  con- 
tribution.  But  I  wish  you  to  have  your  collection  made 
beforehand,  and  in  readiness.  Have  a  systematic  plan  of 
attending  to  such  business.  Let  each  one  attend  to  his  own 
duty,  and  lay  by,  as  the  Lord  hath  prospered  him.  And 
let  the  officers  of  the  church  receive  it  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
lay  it  up,"  "  that  there  he  no  gatherings  when  1  come.''^ 
"  If  the  collections  are  made  beforehand,  as  they  should  be, 
when  I  call,  I  shall  have  only  to  preach  the  gospel  as  long 
as  circumstances  will  allow — probably  all  winter — without 
being  hindered  with  making  collections  ;  and  then  pass  on, 
taking  your  contributions  with  me,  or  forwarding  them  by 
such  persons  as  you  may  designate."  It  is  implied  that 
Paul  would  have  to  pass  round  from  house  to  house,  to 
solicit  donations,  and  do  the  work  of  the  deacons,  unless 
collections  were  made  beforehand.  "  Relieve  me  from  this 
labour,  says  he:  Let  there  be  no  gatherings  when  I 
come." 

268 


SYSTEMATIC    BENEVOLENCE.  11 

We  think  these  six  general  principles  are  established  by 
this  passage,  viz. 

1.  Eack  one  slwuld  give.     "  Let  each  one  lay  by  him." 

2.  This  giving  is  to  be  done  by  system^  as  a  regular 
thing,  and  not  by  mere  impulse. 

3.  It  must  be  done  at  stated  times.  At  Corinth  it  was  to 
be  weekly.  At  other  places,  and  under  other  circumstances, 
monthly  or  quarterly,  may  be  sufficient.  But  let  there  be 
stated  periods  in  alt  cases. 

4.  The  amount  given  is  to  he  graduated  by  rule.  "  As 
God  hath  prospered  him."  Each  one  for  himself  is  con- 
scientiously to  apply  this  rule. 

5.  This  is  to  be  done  without  the  solicitation  of  travelliiig 
agents.     "  No  gatherings  when  I  come." 

6.  But  if  this  be  not  done,  then  there  is  a  necessity  for 
employing  agents  to  do  the  work  which  tlue  churches  ought 
tJiemselves  to  do.  Tlcen  "  tJie  gatherings'''  must  be  made 
"  when^"*  the  agent  "  comes.'''' 

There  has  been  much  said  for  and  against  the  "  agency 
system,"  in  our  day.  Into  this  controversy  we  design  not 
to  enter.  But  we  think  that  the  true  ground  on  the  subject 
may  be  ascertained  from  the  passage  we  have  been  con- 
sidering. It  is  the  duty  of  ministers,  elders,  and  deacons, 
to  attend  to  the  whole  business  of  collecting  funds,  without 
the  necessity  of  employing  any  other  agents.  For  in  our 
country,  where  funds  can  be  so  easily  transmitted,  there  is 
no  need  for  agents  to  carry  the  collections  to  the  benevolent 
treasuries.  But  if  ministers,  elders,  deacons  and  churches, 
neglect  their  duties,  then  they  create  a  necessity  for  employ- 
mg  others,  as  their  agents,  to  attend  to  these  duties  for  them. 
We  know  of  no  other  way  in  which,  without  great  injury 
to  the  church  and  her  best  interests,  she  can  dispense  with 
agents,  but  by  doing  her  duly  without  them.  Let  the 
divinely  appointed  agents — the  proper  officers  of  the  church 
— attend  to  their  duties,  and  she  needs  no  other  agency. 

It  is  the  duty  of  the  minister  to  be  the  pleading  agent,  to 
present  the  various  objects  of  religious  benevolence  from  the 
pulpit,  and  urge,  by  all  suitable  motives,  the  duty  of  giving 
systematically  and  liberally.  He  must  make  himself  ac- 
quainted with  the  various  objects,  and  have  his  own  heart 
alive  to  their  interests,  and  he  will  be  a  good  and  successful 
agent.  Being  acquainted  with  his  people,  their  circum- 
stances and  feelings,  as  a  stranger  cannot  be,  he  will,  ordi- 
narily, be  the  best  agent,  that  can  be  employed.  It  is  as 
much  the  pastor's  duty  to  preach  frequently  and  fully,  on 
x2  269 


12  SYSTEMATIC    BENEVOLENCE. 

Christian  benevolence  as  on  prayer,  faith  or  repentance. 
With  just  as  much  propriety  might  he  expect  some  body 
else  to  preach  for  him  on  faith,  or  repentance,  or  prayer,  or 
any  other  duty,  and  excuse  himself,  as  to  expect  agents  to 
instruct  his  people  for  him,  in  the  duty  of  giving.  It  is  his 
own  duty ;  and  wo  to  the  pastor  who  neglects  to  urge  upon 
his  people  the  duty  of  preaching  the  gospel  to  every  crea- 
ture, and  to  declare  to  them  the  vjhole  counsel  of  God.  He 
is  the  proper  agent  to  plead  the  cause  of  benevolence,  and 
of  a  dying  world  before  his  people. 

The  elders  of  the  churches,  in  connexion  with  the  dea- 
cons, are  to  be  the  plamiing  agents.  It  is  theirs  to  second, 
in  a  more  private  way,  the  efforts  of  the  pastor,  to  lay  plans 
and  devise  schemes  for  the  collection  of  funds,  to  circulate 
information,  remove  misapprehensions  and  objections,  to 
reprove  the  negligent,  and  stimulate  the  tardy.  In  a  word, 
they  are  to  take  a  principal  agency  in  erecting  and  main- 
taining a  high  standard  of  Christian  benevolence.  In  order 
that  they  may  perform  these  duties,  they  must  be  informed 
and  interested  themselves,  on  these  subjects.  Their  duties, 
as  well  as  those  of  private  members,  are  to  be  explained  and 
enforced  from  the  pulpit. 

It  belongs  to  the  deacons,  to  make  personally,  or  to 
superintend  the  making  of  collections  for  religious  purposes, 
and  to  take  charge  of,  and  distribute  them  :  in  brief,  to  do 
the  whole  business  of  the^^ca^  agent  of  the  church  and  of 
her  boards.  This  is  their  proper  calling,  and  the  whole 
matter  belongs  in  an  especial  manner  to  them.  If  they 
"  magnify  their  office,"  the  standard  of  benevolence  will  be 
greatly  elevated  in  our  churches,  and  the  treasuries  of  our 
boards  be  replenished  according  to  their  necessities.  Shall 
we  degrade  them  to  the  place  of  mere  trustees  to  hold  church 
property  ;  or  at  most,  to  a  kind  of  ecclesiastical  constables 
or  tax-gatherers,  to  collect  pastors'  salaries,  and  procure 
bread  and  wine  for  communion  purposes?  Then  soon  may 
we  expect  that  scriptural  office,  so  essential  to  presbyterian- 
ism,  to  go  again  into  disuse.  Wherever  we  have  in  our 
churches,  scriptural  deacons,  we  have  the  proper  agents  of 
our  schemes  of  benevolence.  Let  them  be  honoured,  and 
if  need  be,  instructed  in  their  duty,  and  let  them  magnify 
their  office.  To  them,  let  the  communications  of  our 
Boards  be  addressed,  to  be  examined  and  considered,  and 
jf  proper,  laid  before  the  people  through  the  agency  of  the 
pastor.  Let  them  compose  a  majority  of  all  our  Boards,  so 
soon  as  the  church  can  be  brought  to  appreciate  the  im- 
270 


SYSTEMATIC    BENEVOLENCE.  13 

portance  of  their  office.  And  if  ministers  and  elders  are  to 
be  made  deacons,  that  is,  treasurers  and  coUecti7ig  agents^ 
let  it  be  by  the  appointment  of  deacons,  acting  in  their  pri- 
mary Boards,  or  in  the  general  Boards  of  the  church. 

And  as  the  deacons  are  not  rulers,  let  them,  when  ne- 
cessary, consult  the  session  and  the  higher  church  courts, 
and  report  to  them  at  stated  times,  all  matters  of  general 
interest  connected  with  their  sphere  of  operation.  As  their 
observation  and  advice  may  be  very  important,  let  them 
send  up  to  the  ecclesiastical  courts,  such  suggestions  and 
recommendations  as  they  may  judge  likely  to  be  useful. 

As  the  pastor  is  the  highest  officer  in  the  church,  and  is 
by  office  a  teacher,  as  well  as  a  ruler,  much  must  depend 
on  his  diligence,  wisdom  and  efficiency  in  the  instruction 
of  his  people — including  deacons  and  ruling  elders — on  this 
whole  subject,  and  on  his  regular,  forcible  and  prudent  pre- 
sentation of  the  proper  motives  to  action.  If  he  neglect 
these  duties,  but  little  will  be  done  to  good  purpose.  If  he 
feel  but  little  interest  in  these  matters,  he  cannot  expect  his 
people  to  feel  much.  If  he  give  but  little,  they  will  fre- 
quently give  less.  If  he  make  no  effort  to  persuade  them 
that  "  it  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive,"  they  will 
be  in  danger  of  disbelieving  or  overlooking  that  important 
truth.  It  is  the  minister's  place  to  enforce,  by  his  instruc- 
tions, the  duties  of  elders  and  deacons  ;  but  who  will  instruct 
and  warn  and  admonish  him?  He  has  no  ecclesiastical 
officer  above  him.  But  this  is  more  than  made  up,  by 
presbyterial  supervision.  To  the  presbytery,  each  minister 
is  amenable.  It  is  one  object  of  this  court,  and  one  of  its 
important  offices,  to  exhort  and  direct  and  admonish  the 
ministers  of  whom  it  is  partly  composed,  regarding  their 
varied  duties.  To  superintend  this  whole  matter  of  benevo- 
lence, and  direct  pastors  concerning  it,  then,  belongs  to  the 
presbytery.  Here  we  have  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  a 
most  beautiful  and  complete  system,  as  efficient,  probably, 
as  any  system  compatible  with  religious  liberty,  can  be.  It 
needs  only  to  be  faithfully  and  efficiently  carried  out  into 
practice,  to  secure  the  most  happy  and  glorious  results. 
No  other  organization  is  needed — a  better  could  not  be  de- 
vised. Let  it  be  honoured  by  being  carried  out  and  made 
efficient. 

The  collected  wisdom  of  the  presbytery,  may  digest  a 
plan  of  operation  to  be  sent  down  to  the  churches.  Its  in- 
fluence may  be  employed  to  stimulate  ministers  and  elders 
as  well  as  deacons  to  the  vigorous  execution  of  the  plan 

2  271 


14  SYSTEMATIC    BEr-^VOLENCE. 

adopted.  And  regular,  written  reports  from  sessions,  will 
be  essential  to  success.  The  mere  passing  of  resolutions 
recommending  a  plan,  however  wise,  will  be  of  little  use. 
The  publishing  of  resolutions  may  effect  something,  but 
nothing  very  efficient  and  systematic  need  be  expected 
without  regular  reports  to  presbytery.  Thus,  only,  a 
feeling  of  direct  responsibility  will  be  created.  One  of 
the  advantages  of  being  associated  together  in  presbytery, 
is,  that  we  may  assist,  advise,  prompt  and  stimulate  each 
other  in  duty.  Let  the  reports  be  concise  as  possible,  but 
full  and  specific  ;  detailing  the  whole  efforts  of  sessions, 
together  with  the  obstacles  and  results.  Let  them  also  pre- 
sent in  detail  the  whole  plan  of  operation,  provided  the  plan 
recommended  by  presbytery  be  not  fully  adopted.  These 
reports  should  be  made  at  least  annually.  Then  let  pres- 
bytery faithfully  admonish  the  delinquent,  and  send  special 
injunctions  to  such  churches  as  may  need  them.  And  here 
permit  the  suggestion,  that  it  might  be  interesting  and  use- 
ful to  set  apart  a  particular  evening  or  afternoon,  during 
the  sessions  of  presbytery,  to  hear  these  reports,  and  suita- 
ble addresses  on  the  subject  of  benevolence  and  the  general 
interests  of  our  Zion,  for  the  instruction  and  encouragement 
of  the  members  of  presbytery,  and  of  the  congregations, 
where  from  time  to  time  they  may  meet. 

I  will  next  present  a  few  of  the  advantages  of  a  system 
by  which  all  the  members  of  our  churches  and  congrega- 
tions shall  be  called  on  to  contribute  at  stated  periods. 

1.  Our  people  will,  in  this  way,  give  more  from  settled 
principle  than  from  mere  impulse.  And  thus  far  their  re- 
ligion will  be  something  more  than  the  mere  spasmodic  re- 
sult of  temporary  excitement. 

2.  They  will  be  more  apt  to  give  cheerfully.  Knowing 
that  all  others  are  called  upon  to  give,  and  having  made 
their  calculations  and  arrangements  previously,  they  will 
not  be  so  apt  to  give  reluctantly,  and  merely  to  get  rid  of 
the  importunity  of  an  agent.  "  The  Lord  loveth  a  cJwerful 
giver," 

3.  They  will  give  with  more  convenience  to  themselves. 
Having  made  previous  preparation,  and  "  laid  by  as  the 

Lord  hath  prospered  them,"  they  will  not  experience  the 
same  difficulty,  as  now,  on  a  sudden  emergency,  when  an 
agent  happens  to  call,  in  getting  hold  of  funds  to  contribute. 
It  is  to  be  feared  that  now,  many  find  it  more  inconvenient 
to  contribute  five  dollars  to  benevolent  purposes,  than  to 
pay  ten  or  fifteen  dollars  of  taxes.  The  latter,  they  expect 
272 


SYSTEMATIC    BENEVOLENCE.  15 

to  pay  about  a  certain  time  of  the  year,  and  therefore  pre- 
pare for  it,  and  have  little  difficulty. 

4.  For  the  same  reason,  people  will  usually  give  more 
liberally  when  they  give  by  system,  and  at  set  times.  \^ 
they  *  lay  by  as  the  Lord  prospers  them,'  they  will  find 
themselves  so  prospered,  that  they  will  be  able  to  give  far 
more,  than  without  such  system,  they  would  have  supposed. 
The  man  who  conscientiously  devotes  to  the  Lord  a  certain 
proportion  of  his  income — say  one  tenth,  as  the  Jew  did — 
will  find,  at  the  end  of  the  year,  that  it  amounts  to  far  more 
than  he  would  have  given,  or  thought  himself  able  to  give, 
without  a  system.  Should  all  our  churches  adopt,  and 
vigorously  prosecute,  a  good  system,  while  none  would  find 
it  burdensome,  the  treasuries  of  our  Boards  would  overflow, 
and  the  churches  be  blessed  in  giving  and  in  seeing  the  Re- 
deemer's cause  rapidly  advance  toward  its  final  and  com- 
plete triumph. 

5.  In  this  way  all,  rich  and  poor,  would  have  the  privi- 
lege and  the  invitation  to  give.  The  widow's  mite  would 
not  be  overlooked — the  pittance  of  the  poor  would  be  care- 
fully collected.  If  it  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive, 
all  might  enjoy  that  blessedness.  Without  such  a  system, 
not  half  of  our  communicants  ever  give  any  thing.  It 
were  far  better  for  the  churches,  and  the  cause  of  religion, 
to  have  five  hundred  dollars  paid  by  one  or  two  hundred 
persons,  than  to  have  the  same  amount  paid  by  one  or  two 
wealthy  individuals,  or  even  by  twenty  or  thirty.  By  sys- 
tem only,  can  every  one  be  reached,  male  and  female,  old 
and  young,  and  all  enjoy  the  blessedness  of  giving.  Thus 
each  will  feel  that  he  has  a  share  in  our  Boards  and  plans 
of  benevolence.  He  will  feel  interested  in  them,  and  pray 
the  more  for  their  success,  because  they  are  his. 

6.  By  a  regular  system  there  is  more  apt  to  be  due  pro- 
portion in  giving  to  different  objects.  If  it  should  be  left  to 
the  deacons  to  appropriate  a  part,  or  all  that  is  raised,  they 
will  be  able  to  distribute  according  to  the  necessities  of  the 
difTerent  boards.  Or  if  a  collection  be  taken  at  a  certain 
season  of  the  year,  for  each  Board  regularly,  in  its  turn, 
the  people  will  prepare  for  each,  according  to  their  views 
of  its  importance  and  necessities,  and  will  not  be  so  likely  to 
say,  "  We  gave  all  we  had  to  spare  for  missions,  and  have 
nothing  left  for  education." 

7.  There  will  be  no  expense  of  collecting.  Without  such 
a  system,  a  great  proportion  of  what  is  given,  is  sometimes 
consumed  by  the  expenses  of  agents.    The  time,  the  ex- 

273 


16  SYSTEMATIC    BENEVOLENCE. 

pense,  the  wasting,  severe  and  trying  labours  of  travelling 
agents,  may,  by  system,  be  measurably,  and  probably  in 
time,  entirely,  saved  None  would  more  rejoice  in  such  a 
result,  than  our  faithful  and  laborious  agents. 

8.  Another  advantage  of  such  a  system  is,  that  mi- 
portant  objects  at  home^  would  not  be  crowded  out  by  the 
frequent  visits  and  importunities  of  agents,  not  acquainted 
with  the  situation  and  necessities  of  the  particular  congre- 
gation. There  may  be  no  danger — there  is  no  danger — 
of  doing  too  much  for  the  salvation  of  the  heathen ;  but 
there  is  danger  of  doing  too  little  for  the  salvation  of  our 
own  country — of  our  near  neighbours. 

9.  Last,  but  not  least,  among  the  advantages  of  system, 
we  mention,  that  it  is  the  LorcTs  own  plan.  Where  gene- 
ral principles  are  laid  down  in  the  Bible,  for  our  direction, 
it  is  our  duty  and  our  interest  to  carry  out  those  principles 
honestly  and  consistently,  so  far  as  we  understand  their  ap- 
plication. If  we  do  not  greatly  mistake,  we  are  clearly 
taught  by  the  Holy  Ghost  to  have  a  system,  and  stated 
times  of  giving,  and  to  lay  by  us  for  the  purpose,  before- 
hand, as  the  Lord  has  prospered  us.  In  following  his  direc- 
tions, we  may  expect  the  blessing  of  God  on  ourselves  and 
our  labours. 

Any  system  to  be  successful,  must  be  vigorously  prose- 
cuted. Elders  and  deacons,  but  especially  ministers,  must 
take  a  deep  and  lively  interest  in  it,  and  feel  themselves 
responsible  for  its  success  or  failure.  If  pastors  feel  this 
deep  interest,  and  realize  their  solemn  and  awful  obligation 
to  attend  to  this,  as  well  as  every  other  duty  of  their  office, 
they  will  be  able  generally  to  awaken  a  similar  feeling  and 
interest  in  the  minds  of  elders,  deacons,  and  private  mem- 
bers of  their  churches.  When  the  wail  of  a  dying  world, 
comes  up  upon  their  ears,  and  deeply  affects  their  hearts, 
they  will  re-echo  the  sound  in  their  people's  ears,  and 
awake  a  chord  of  tender  sympathy  in  pious  hearts  ;  and 
all  classes  of  real  Christians,  will  know,  experimentally, 
the  blessedness  of  giving.  The  interest  in  the  subject  being 
deep  and  permanent,  it  will  not  be  forgotten  or  thrust  aside. 


THE    END. 


274 


THE  WORK 


OP 


THE   HOLY   SPIRIT 


ON   THE 


HEARTS    OF    MEN 


BY    THE 


REV.  JESSE  S.  ARMISTEAD. 


PHILADELPHIA : 
PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION. 

275 


THE  WORK  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIEIT 


ON   THE 


HEARTS    OF    MEN, 


It  has  been  true  in  every  age  of  the  church  since  the  days 
of  the  apostles, — and  on  the  acknowledged  principles  of  the 
Bible,  it  must  always  be  true, — that  in  proportion  as  the 
people  of  God  have  honoured  the  Holy  Spirit  in  his  divine 
character,  and  have  depended  on  his  influences  for  effi- 
ciency and  success,  they  have  been  blessed  with  his  agency, 
and  the  work  of  the  Lord  has  prospered  in  their  hands.  And 
on  the  contrary,  as  the  church  has  practically  disowned  the 
Spirit,  and  has  attempted  to  do  its  work  independently  of 
his  efficient  agency,  it  has  uniformly  become  cold,  and 
formal,  and  worldly,  and  has  been  left  to  the  curse  and  the 
reproach  of  barrenness. 

It  is  an  interesting  and  striking  fact,  that  the  Saviour  in 
his  last  discourses  and  promises  to  his  disciples,  made  the 
character,  and  coming,  and  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  his 
great  theme,  and  dwelt  with  special  emphasis  on  it,  in  order 
to  console  and  comfort  them  in  the  prospect  of  his  own  de- 
parture from  them.  He  made  him  the  great  promise  of  the 
New  Testament  dispensation.  On  this  subject  his  teaching 
was  new  and  striking,  and  was  intended  to  lix  in  the  minds 
of  his  disciples  high  expectations  of  the  spiritual  blessings 
which  would  be  connected  with  his  descent  upon  them. 
They  were  taught  to  regard  him,  in  his  'personal  and  divine 
character^  as  the  quickening,  indwelling,  sanctifying,  wit 
nessing  and  comforting  Spirit  of  the  church.  Thus  the 
apostles  and  primitive  disciples  of  Christ  did  regard  the 
Holy  Spirit ;  and  the  works  which  he  wrought  by  their  in- 
strumentality, abundantly  testified,  that  the  promise  of  the 
y  3  277 


4  THE    WORK    OF    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT 

Saviour  was  verified  to  them.  It  is  really  astonishing  that, 
while  the  Saviour  insisted  with  so  much  point  and  earnest- 
ness, on  the  necessity  of  the  Spirit's  influences  to  give  suc- 
cess to  the  means  employed  by  his  people  in  building  up  his 
spiritual  kingdom ;  and  while  the  whole  history  of  the  church 
has  been  a  practical  commentary  on  this  leading  doctrine 
of  divine  revelation  ;  the  church  should  insist  so  little  on  this 
great  promise  of  thy  gospel.  The  ministry  of  the  gospel 
has  been  greatly  at  fault  here.  It  is  a  matter  of  common 
and  painful  observation,  that  comparatively  few  sermons 
are  preached  on  the  doctrine  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  influences  ; 
and,  as  might  be  expected,  in  such  a  state  of  things,  Christ- 
ians generally  are  contented  with  small  measures  of  divine 
influence,  and  many  seem  to  think  that  such  scenes  as  were 
witnessed  in  the  apostles'  days  are  neither  to  be  expected 
nor  desired. 

Our  object  is,  to  present  such  considerations  in  connexion 
with  the  Holy  Spirit's  agency,  as  may  be  useful  in  increas- 
ing faith  in  the  doctrine  of  divine  influence,  and  in  awaken- 
ing a  more  ardent  desire,  and  more  earnest  and  constant 
prayer,  for  a  larger  measure  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  influences, 
and  more  satisfactory  evidences  of  his  glory  and  power  in 
our  churches.  Christians  generally  are  not  sufficiently 
alive  to  the  necessity  of  the  Spirit's  agency,  in  order  to  their 
usefulness,  as  well  as  their  enjoyment  of  the  hopes  and  con- 
solations of  the  gospel.  While  in  theory  they  admit  the 
necessity  of  his  agency,  they  have  not  a  sufficiently  deep 
and  practical  persuasion  of  it. 

In  entering  on  the  consideration  of  the  work  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  on  the  hearts  of  men,  it  is  manifestly  necessary  to 
have  clear  views  of  the  basis  on  which  the  Scriptures  place 
this  doctrine.  If  he  be  not  God,  we  can  have  no  confidence 
in  the  offices  and  works  which  we  ordinarily  ascribe  to  him. 
We  cannot  depend  on  his  influences,  unless  we  can  scrip- 
tu rally  maintain  his  'personality  and  divinity.  Low  views 
of  the  dignity  of  his  person,  must  of  necessity  be  connected 
with  low  views  of  the  necessity  and  nature  of  his  work.  If, 
for  example,  man  be  totally  depraved,  dead  in  trespasses 
and  sins,  none  but  God  can  create  him  anew  in  Christ 
Jesus.  We,  therefore,  deem  it  necessary  to  present  a  con- 
densed view  of  the  Scripture  proofs  of 

THE    PERSONALITY    AND    DEITY    OF    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

And,  Jirst,  in  regard  to  the  fact,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
a  distinct  person  in  the  Godhead-.     On  this  subject  it  may 
278 


ON    THE    HEARTS    OF    MEN.  5 

be  well  to  remark,  that  serious  errors  are  abroad.  We 
cannot  stop  to  notice  these  errors  farther  than  to  say,  that 
there  are  those  who  deny  the  doctrine  of  the  Holy  Spirit's 
Personality,  and  maintain  that  the  operations  and  influences 
ordinarily  ascribed  to  him,  are  to  be  referred  to  the  exer- 
cise of  one  or  more  of  the  divine  attributes, — the  wisdom, 
power,  or  mercy  of  God.  They  say  that  the  influences  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  are  to  be  regarded  but  as  so  many  emana- 
tions of  Deity.  Those  passages  of  Scripture,  which,  in  our 
view,  prove  the  distinct  personal  existence  of  the  Spirit, 
they  of  course  regard  as  merely  Jigf/rative.  We  shall  see 
in  the  progress  of  our  proofs,  how  much  such  interpretations 
are  worth. 

In  Acts  X.  38,  it  is  said,  God  anointed  Jesiis  of  Naza- 
reth with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  with  power.  Rom.  xv.  13 
— Now  the  God  of  hope  fill  you  luitk  joy  and  peace  in  be- 
lieving,  that  ye  'may  abound  in  hope,  through  the  power 
OF  THE  Holy  Ghost.  And  1  Cor.  ii.  4 — My  speech  a,nd 
my  preaching  was  not  with  entichig  words  of  man^s  wis- 
dom, but  in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit,  and  of  power. 
It  is  plain  from  these  passages,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  a  dis- 
tinct and  intelligent  person,  and  may  not  be  confounded 
with  the  divine  attribute  o'i  power. 

The  sin  of  blasphemy  against  tlie  Holy  Ghost  teaches  in 
the  clearest  manner,  the  doctrine  of  the  Personality  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Malt.  xii.  31,  32,  Wherefore  I  say  unto  you. 
All  maimer  of  sin  and  blasphemy  shall  be  forgiven  unto 
rtien :  eut  blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Ghost  shall 
not  be  forgiven  unto  men.  Andiuhosoever  speaketh  a  word 
against  the  Son  of  Man,  it  shall  be  forgiven  him ;  but 
ivhosoever  speaketh  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  it  shcdl 
not  be  forgiven  him,  7ieither  in  this  ivorld,  neither  in  tJie 
world  to  come.  The  sin  which  is  here  so  fearfully  charac- 
terized, is  certainly  represented  as  being  committed  against 
a  distinct  person,  and  not  against  a  divine  attribute.  Is 
blasphemy  against  an  attribute  of  God  more  heinous  and 
unpardonable,  than  all  manner  of  sin  and  blasphemy  1  Is 
it  more  unpardonable  than  blaspJiemy  against  the  Son  of 
Man  1 

The  sacrament  of  baptism  is  appointed  to  be  administered 
into  his  name,  in  union  with  the  name  of  the  Father  and 
the  Son.  Matt,  xxviii.  19 — Go,  teach  all  nations,  baptiz- 
ing them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  tlie  Son,  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Did  the  Saviour  mean  to  teach  that  his 
ministers  are  to  be  guilty  of  the  folly  of  baptizing  in  the 
1  *  279 


b  THE    WORK    OF    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT 

name  of  an  attribute  1  of  a  principle  ?  of  a  quality  7  Are 
they  to  baptize  first  in  the  name  o?  the  Father ^  and  then  in 
the  name  of  one  of  his  attributes  ? 

But  we  have  strong  additional  proof  in  the  fact,  that  the 
Scriptures  ascribe  to  the  Holy  Spirit  various  attributes, 
personal  acts^  and  properties. 

He  is  represented  as  speaking — Matt.  xiii.  11 — What- 
soever shall  be  given  you  in  that  hour  that  speak  ye;  for  it. 
is  not  ye  that  speak,  but  the  Holy  Ghost.  Acts  xxviii. 
25 — Well  SPAKE  the  Holy  Ghost  by  Esaias  the  prophet 
unto  our  fathers — xiii.  2,  As  they  ministered  to  the  Lord 
and  fasted,  the  Holy  Ghost  said,  Separate  me  Bar- 
nabas and  SauL 

He  is  said  to  reveal  things.  Eph.  iii.  4,  5,  The  mystery 
of  tJie  knowledge  of  Christy — is  now  revealed  unto  his 
lioly  apostles  and  prophets  by  the  Spirit.  Luke  ii.  26. 
And  it  VMS  revealed  unto  him  by  the  Holy  Ghost, 
that  lie  should  not  see  death,  before  he  had  seen  tlie  Lord's 
Christ. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is  declared  to  possess  the  highest  know- 
ledge. 1  Cor.  ii.  10,  11 — Tlie  Spirit  searcheth  all 
things,  yea,  the  deep  things  of  God.  For  what  man 
knoiveth  the  thi?igs  of?7ia?i,  save  the  spirit  of  man  which  is 
in  him  1  Fven  so  the  things  of  God  knotveth  no  man,  but 
the  Spirit  of  God. 

He  was  also  the  immediate  agent  in  all  the  miracles 
wrought  by  the  apostles.  Through  mighty  signs  and 
wonders,  by  the  power  of  the  Spirit  of  God. 

It  is  the  Holy  Spirit  also  who  communicates  spiritual 
life  to  the  souls  of  men.  Eph.  ii.  1 — You  hath  he  quick- 
ened who  were  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins.  John  vi.  63 — 
It  is  the  Spirit  that  quickeneth. 

This  testimony,  clear  and  explicit,  we  think  will  be 
deemed  sufficient  to  establish,  on  an  immovable  basis,  the 
fundamental  doctrine,  that  tlie  Holy  Spirit  is  a  distinct 
•person  in  the  Godhead. 

We  proceed,  in  the  second  place  to  establish  the  doctrine 
of  the  absolute  and  essential  Deity  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
This  need  not  detain  us  long.  For  if  we  have  succeeded 
in  proving  from  the  Scriptures,  the  Personality  o^  \\\e  Holy 
Spirit,  we  might  fairly  and  logically  infer  the  doctrine  of 
his  divinity.  The  actions  and  attributes,  which  prove  him 
to  be  a  person,  also  demonstrate  that  his  person  is  divine. 
We  will,  however,  present  a  condensed  view  of  the  argu- 
ment on  this  subject. 
280 


ON   THE    HEARTS    OF    MEN.  7 

The  Scriptures  frequently  give  the  names  of  Deity  to  the 
Holy  Spirit.  2  Cor.  iii.  17,  18 — Now  the  Lord  is  that 
Spirit.  But  we  all^  with  open  face,  beholding  as  in  a 
glass  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are  changed  into  th^  same 
irnage  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord. 

He  is  expressly  called  God  in  Acts  v.  "3,  4,  "  But 
Peter  said,  Ananias,  why  hath  Satan  filled  thy  heart  to  lie 
to  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  to  keep  back  part  of  the  price  of  the 
land?  Why  hast  thou  conceived  this  thing  in  thine  heart? 
Thou  hast  not  lied  unto  men,  but  unto  God.''^ 

There  is  also  a  number  of  parallel  passages,  in  which  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  called  God, — from  which  we  select  the  fol- 
lowing. 1  Cor.  iii.  17 — Tlie  temple  of  God  is  holy,vjhich 
temple  ye  are.  Comp.  1  Cor.  vi.  19,  Knoiv  ye  not  that 
your  body  is  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ?  Again  : 
Luke  xi.  20,  If  I  with  the  finger  of  God  cast  out  devils. 
Comp.  Matt.  xii.  28,  If  I  cast  out  devils  by  the  Spirit  of 
God.  The  inference  is  plain  and  necessary,  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  God. 

The  Scriptures  also  ascribe  the  attributes  atul  works  of 
God  to  ihe  Holy  Spirit,  and  thus  furnish  decisive  testimony 
to  his  divinity.  They  declare  that  he  is  omniscient,  om- 
nipotent, omnipresent,  and  sovereign,  1  Cor.  ii.  10,  But 
God  hath  revealed  tliem  unto  us  by  his  Spirit;  for  the  Spirit 
SEAKCHETH  ALL  THINGS,  yea,  the  deep  things  of  God.  Rom. 
XV.  18,19,  For  1  will  not  dare  to  speak  of  any  of  those  things 
which  Christ  ha,th  not  lor ought  by  me,  to  make  the  Gen- 
tiles  obedient,  by  word  and  deed,  through  'inighty  signs  and 
ivonders,  by  the  power  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  Ps. 
cxxxix.  7,  Whither  shcdl  I  go  from  thy  Spirit  7  Or 
whither  shall  I  flee  from  thy  presence?  1  Cor.  xii.  11. 
But  all  these  worketk  that  one  and  the  selfsame  Spirit^ 
dividing  to  every  man  severally  as  He  will. 

We  ask,  then,  is  not  the  Holy  Spirit  absolutely  and 
essentially  divine  ?  We  need  not  pursue  the  argument 
farther ;  but  we  wish  to  notice,  before  leaving  this  subject, 
the  connexion  of  these  two  doctrines  of  the  Personality  and 
Deity  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  with  the  truth  of  divine  revelation. 
If  these  doctrines  be  denied,  such  denial  necessarily  in- 
volves the  abandonment  of  the  doctrine  of  divine  revelation 
altogether.  For  we  are  told,  that  the  prophecy  came  not  in 
old  time  by  the  will  of  man,  but  holy  men  of  God  spake  as 

THEY    were    moved    BY     THE     HoLY    GhOST.       We    mUSt, 

therefore,  either  deny  the  divine  inspiration  of  the  word  of 
y2  281 


8  THE    WORK    OF    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT 

God,  or  we  must  admit  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  God.  All 
that  we  know  of  God,  we  know  by  the  inspiration  of  the 
Spirit  of  God. 

We  have  been  thus  particular  in  estabhshing,  on  a  scrip- 
tural foundation,  the  Personality'and  Divinity  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  because  we  wish  to  found  upon  these  doctrines,  the 
peculiar  work  which  the  Scriptures  ascribe  to  Him  in  the 
regeneration  of  the  human  heart,  and  in  preparing  man  for 
happiness  and  heaven.  If  man  be  in  the  fallen,  totally  de- 
praved, and  spiritually  dead  condition  in  which  the  Bible 
represents  him  to  be,  then  it  necessarily  follows,  that  none 
but  a  Divme  Being  can  raise  him  up  to  spiritual  life  and 
the  joys  of  salvation. 

REGENERATION    BY    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 

In  illustrating  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  hearts 
of  men,  we  select  the  regeneration  of  the  soul  as  our  prin- 
cipal topic;  because  this  is  his  first  great  work  in  the  sal- 
vation of  the  sinner  ;  and  because  the  examination  of  this 
subject  will  furnish  a  suitable  opportunity  to  give  our  views 
of  several  important  doctrinal  points  which  we  wish  should 
be  distinctly  understood,  and  in  reference  to  which  the  most 
serious  and  fatal  errors  have  been  extensively  propagated 
of  late  years. 

Regeneration  we  define  to  be, — the  communication  of 
spiritual  life  to  the  soul.  It  is  the  Sjnrit  that  quickeneth. 
Many  errors  are  abroad  even  in  the  church  in  relation  to 
this  subject,  and  therefore  it  is  highly  important  that  our 
views  should  be  distinct  and  clear  in  reference  to  it.  It  has 
been  one  of  the  starting  points  of  the  distinctions  between 
the  old  and  new  theology,  which  have  so  painfully  harass- 
ed and  distracted  the  Presbyterian  Church  for  a  number  of 
years  past.  The  neiv  views  of  regeneration,  as  held  and 
preached  by  many,  are  not  only  widely  different  from  the 
doctrinal  standards  of  our  church,  but  what  is  of  vastly 
greater  importance,  they  are  directly  opposed  to  the  teach- 
ings of  the  word  of  God.  In  the  days  of  the  apostles,  and 
of  the  reformation,  the  entire  helplessness  of  the  sinner,  and 
his  absolute  dependence  on  the  Holy  Spirit  for  the  regene- 
ration of  the  soul,  were  maintained  as  cardinal  doctrines 
of  the  gospel :  but  now,  it  is  most  painful  to  know,  that 
men,  striving  to  be  wise  above  what  is  written,  hold  and 
most  zealously  propagate  far  different  views,  and  such  as 
are  subversive  of  the  scripture  doctrine  of  regeneration,  and 
destructive  of  multitudes  of  souls.  We  trust,  however,  that 
282 


ON   THE    HEARTS    OF    MEN.  9 

the  time  has  come  in  our  beloved  church,  when  the  precious 
doctrines  of  the  gospel  in  relation  to  this  subject,  are  again 
her  safe-guard  and  her  glory. 

Regeneration^  as  we  have  said,  is  the  communication  of 
spiritual,  divine  life  to  the  soul.  This  ought  to  be  clearly- 
distinguished  from  conversion,  although  it  is  the  basis  of 
this.  Conversion  is  the  acting  of  the  spiritual  life  implant- 
ed in  the  soul  by  the  Spirit  of  God ;  and  it  is  manifest  that 
no  action  can  take  place  until  a  principle  of  life  has  been 
communicated.  A  child  cannot  act  till  it  has  life;  nor  can 
an  individual  exercise  spiritual  powers,  before  spiritual 
life  has  been  given.  Lazarus  in  his  grave  could  not  act, 
till  Jesus,  communicating  life,  "cried  with  a  loud  voice, 
Lazarus,  come  forth,  and  he  that  was  dead  came  forth." 
The  soul,  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,  mw^i  pass  from  death 
u?ito  life,  before  it  can  act,  and  have  any  joyful  sense  of 
acceptance  in  Christ :  and  certainly  there  can  be  no  con- 
formity of  the  will  and  affections  to  the  law  and  the  image 
of  God,  while  there  is  no  spiritual  life,  or  holiness  in  the 
soul.  Faith  cannot  exist  except  in  a  heart  created  anew  in 
Christ  Jesus;  nor  can  one  be  justified,  adopted  into  the 
family  of  God,  and  sanctified,  until  the  whole  man  has  been 
spiritually  renewed. 

But  it  will  materially  assist  us  in  obtaining  a  correct  view 
of  the  nature  of  regeneration,  to  look  at  the  scriptural  re- 
presentation of  the  moral  condition  of  those  on  whom  this 
great  work  is  wrought.  The  statements  of  the  Bible  on  this 
subject  are  clear,  and  strong,  and  oft-repeated.  It  says  of 
the  heart  of  the  unregenerale,  that  it  is  depraved  and  wick' 
ed;  that  the  understanding  is  darkened  and  blinded;  that 
the  will  is  perverted  and  opposed  to  God;  and  that  the 
affections  are  polluted  and  cdienated  from  God.  But  "  to 
the  law  and  to  the  testimony." 

What  do  the  Scriptures  say  of  the  heart  in  its  unregene- 
rale state?  Jer.  xvii.  9,  "  The  heart  is  deceitful  above  all 
things,  and  desperately  wicked."  In  Matthew  xv.  19,  the 
Saviour  says,  "  Out  of  the  heart  proceed  evil  thoughts, 
murders,  adulteries,  fornications,  thefts,  false-witness,  bias- 
piiemies.  This  is  certainly  a  fearful  picture,  but  it  is  drawn 
by  Him  who  needed  not  to  be  told  what  is  in  man.  He 
makes  no  exception  of  any  unregenerate  man.  The  evil  is 
deeply  seated  in  the  heart ;  and  though  there  may  not  be 
the  overt  act  of  sin,  it  is  only  because  it  is  restrained  by  the 
power  and  grace  of  God.  Because  sentence  against  an 
evil  work  is  ?iot  executed  speedily;  therefore  the  heart  of 

283 


10  TUE    WORK    OF    THE    HOLY    SriRIT 

the  sons  of  me7i  is  fully  set  i7i  them  to  do  evil, — Eccles, 
viii.  11.  Again  ;  Eccles.  ix.  3,  The  heart  of  tJie  sons  of 
men  is  fall  of  evil,  and  madness  is  in  their  heart  while 
they  live.  Surely  this  is  a  dark  and  gloomy  picture, — and 
looking  very  little  as  if  man  had  any  disposition,  or  ability, 
or  power  to  regenerate  himself— ^2^%  set  to  do  evil — 
full  of  evil  and  madness — deceitful — desperately  wicked. 
It  is  true,  there  may  be  kindness,  affection,  benevo- 
lence, towards  men,  dwelling  even  in  such  a  heart ;  but 
towards  God,  and  Christ,  and  holiness,  there  is  no  love,  no 
bias  of  the  affections :  nor  will  there  ever  be,  until  the  Holy 
Spirit  enters,  and  creates  all  things  new  in  Christ  Jesus. 

What  description  do  the  Scriptures  give  of  the  under- 
standing ?  Eph.  iv.  18,  "  Having  the  understanding  dark- 
ened." 2  Cor.  iv.  4,  "  In  whom  the  god  of  this  world  hath 
blinded  the  minds  of  them  that  believe  not."  Thus  Paul 
says,  "  The  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the 
Spirit  of  God,  for  they  are  foolishness  to  him  :  neither  can 
he  know  them,  because  they  are  spiritually  discerned." 

The  ivillxhQ  Scriptures  represent  as  hemg  perverted,  and 
the  affections  as  polluted  omcI  alienated  from  God.  A  sin- 
gle passage  will  be  sufficient  for  our  purpose  here.  The 
Bible  asserts,  that  there  is  positive  enmity  in  the  natural 
tnan  to  God.  The  will  has  no  bias  towards  spiritual  and 
holy  objects;  but  its  natural  disposition  is  to  evil, — to  evil 
only,  and  continually.  Rom.  viii.  7,  "The  carnal  mind  is 
enmity  against  God  :  for  it  is  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God, 
neither  indeed  can  be."  Nothing  can  add  to  the  strength 
of  this  statement :  it  is  not  merely  that  the  carnal  mind  is 
alienated  from  God, — averse,  hostile  to  him  ;  but  that  it  is 
actual  enmity.  The  ground  of  this  enmity  is  the  law  of 
God.  It  is  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God.  The  enmity  of 
the  carnal  mind,  therefore,  is  directed  against  God  as  the 
Moral  Governor  of  the  universe :  it  refuses  to  submit  to 
him  as  the  supreme  lawgiver. 

But  the  Scriptures  give  a  yet  more  awful  description,  if 
possible,  of  the  unregenerate  state  of  man.  They  present 
it  under  the  image  o^  death.  "  You  hath  he  quickened  who 
were  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins."  Eph.  ii,  1.  Again; 
Eph.  ii.  5,  "  Even  when  we  were  dead  in  sins."  Again  ; 
Col.  ii.  13,  "  And  you,  being  dead  in  your  sins,  hath  he 
quickened  together  with  him."  And  again;  Rom.  v.  15, 
"  Through  the  offence  of  one,"  that  is,  Adam,  "  many  be 
dead."  Moral  death,  therefore,  is  the  fearful  natural  con- 
dition of  the  unregenerate  sinner.  He  is  spiritually,  legally 
284 


ON   THE    HEARTS    OP    MEN.  11 

dead.  As  a  corpse  is  dead  to  all  animal  life ;  so  the  sinner 
is  spiritually  dead.  There  is  no  symptom  of  spiritual  life  ; 
or  holiness  about  him.  If  there  were,  it  could  not  be  said 
of  him,  that  he  is  dead. 

How  can  the  sinner,  then,  spiritually  dead  as  he  is,  be 
raised  up  to  spiritual  life  ?  The  Scriptures  assert  that  this 
is  a  work  which  is  accomplished  by  Almighty  power;  that, 
as  to  the  power  exerted,  it  is  a  new  creation,  like  making 
a  world,  or  raising  the  dead.  But  let  us  look  to  the  pecu- 
liar and  striking  teachings  of  the  word  of  God,  as  to  tlte 
nature  of  regeneration. 

It  frequently  represents  regeneration  as  a  passing  from 
death  unto  life.  Thus  the  Saviour  says,  John  v.  24, 
"  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  he  that  heareth  my  word, 
and  believeth  on  him  that  sent  me,  hath  everlasting  life,  and 
shall  not  come  into  condemnation  ;  but  is  passed  from  death 
unto  life."  Eph.  ii.  1,  "  You  hath  he  quickened  who  were 
dead  in  trespasses  and  sins."  And  John  says,  1  John  iii. 
14,  "  We  know  that  we  have  passed  from  death  unto  life." 

Regeneration  is  also  called  a  neiv  creation.  Gal.  vi.  15, 
"  For  in  Christ  Jesus  neither  circumcision  availeth  any 
thiiig,  nor  uncircumcision,  but  a  new  creature" — or  a  new 
creation.  Again  ;  "  If  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new 
creature."  Again  ;  "  We  are  his  workmanship,  created  in 
Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works." 

It  is  also  denominated  a  new  birth.  Thus  the  Saviour 
said  to  Nicodemus,  John  iii,  3,  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto 
thee.  Except  a  man  be  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the  king- 
dom of  God."  John  i.  13,  "  Which  were  born,  not  of  blood, 
nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  of 
God."  1  Pet.  i.  23,  "  Being  born  again,  not  of  corruptible 
seed,  but  of  incorruptible,  by  the  word  of  God,  which  liveth 
and  abideth  forever." 

It  is  also  represented  as  a  turning  from  darkness  to  light. 
1  Pet.  ii.  9,  "  But  ye  are  a  chosen  generation,  a  royal 
priesthood,  an  holy  nation,  a  peculiar  people  ;  that  ye  should 
show  forth  the  praises  of  him  who  hath  called  you  out  of 
darkness  into  his  marvellous  light." 

It  is  also  called  a  restoration  of  the  divine  image.  Col. 
iii.  10,  "  And  have  put  on  the  new  man,  which  is  renewed 
in  knowledge,  after  the  image  of  Him  that  created  him." 
Rom.  viii.  29,  "  For  whom  he  did  foreknow,  he  also  did 
predestinate,  to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  his  Son." 

Thus  clearly  and  emphatically  do  the  Scriptures  describe 
the  nature  of  regeneration  :  and  let  it  be  distinctly  borne  ia 

285 


12  THE    WORK    OF   THE    HOLY    SPIRIT 

mind,  that  the  idea  o^  divine  poiver  is  constantly  presented 
in  connexion  with  the  change  which  man  must  experience 
in  becoming  a  child  of  God.  We  have  thought  it  proper  to 
present  this  extended  view  of  the  condition  of  the  unregene- 
rate,  and  of  the  true  nature  of  regeneration,  in  order  to  pre- 
pare the  way  for  noticing, 

THE    WORK    OF    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT    IN    PRODUCING 
REGENERATION. 

Let  it  be  remembered,  that  man's  understanding,  his  will 
and  affections  are  dark,  perverted,  and  alienated  from  God  ; 
and  that  enmity  to  God,  and  spiritual  death  are  character- 
istics of  every  unrenewed  man.  Regeneration  is  the  re- 
verse of  the  sinner's  natural  condition.  The  heart  of  the 
regenerate  is  brought  back  to  God,  and  clings  to  him  with 
the  strength  of  its  renewed  affections.  Darkness  in  the 
understanding  is  succeeded  by  light,  enmity  in  the  heart  by 
love,  and  the  whole  soul  turns  to  God  as  cdl  its  salvation 
and  all  its  desire.  To  ivhose power  are  we  to  attribute  the 
wonderful  and  glorious  change?  Shall  we  say,  with  a  nu- 
merous class  of  errorists,  that  the  change  is  to  be  ascribed 
to  man  himself?     God  forbid  ! 

REGENERATION    IS    THE    SOLE  AND   SPECIAL    WORK  OP  THE 
HOLY    SPIRIT. 

All  the  errors  on  this  subject,  which  are  so  extensively 
and  zealously  propagated  from  the  pulpit  and  the  press, 
grow  out  of  wrong  views  of  human  depravity.  Those  who 
think  that  human  poiver  has  an  efficient  agency  in  regene- 
ration, go  upon  the  unscriptural  assumption,  that  there  is  in 
man's  nature  an  inherent  principle  which  naturally  tends 
to  holiness, — that  man  is  not  totally  depraved, — is  not  in- 
deed dead  in  trespasses  and  sins.  Because  he  has  been 
created  a  rational  being,  endowed  with  a  will,  understand- 
ing, conscience,  affections,  and  other  intellectual  and  moral 
attributes,  such  metaphysical  speculators  believe  that  the 
simple,  unaided,  voluntary  exercise  of  these  powers, — a 
simple  choosing  of  what  conscience  and  the  understanding 
approve  as  good,  in  view  of  certain  motives  presented  to 
the  mind,  is  all  that  is  necessary  to  the  regeneration  of  the 
soul. 

This  fallacious  and  dangerous  error  the  word  of  God 
most  decidedly  and  strongly  condemns.  "  That  which  is 
born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh,"  John  iii.  6.  It  is,  morally 
286 


ON    THE    HEARTS    OF    MEN.  13 

nothing  hut  flesh — carnal,  corrupt,  sinful, — and  has  no  per- 
ception of  spiritual  things.  In  this  sense  the  term  Jlesh,  as 
opposed  to  sjnritj  is  generally  used  in  the  word  of  God.  It 
means  the  corruption  of  nature.  "  For  the  flesh  lusteth 
against  the  Spirit,  and  the  Spirit  against  the  flesh,  and  these 
are  contrary  the  one  to  the  other."  Gal.  v.  17.  "For 
they  that  are  after  the  flesh,  do  mind  the  things  of  the 
flesh  :  but  they  that  are  after  the  Spirit,  the  things  of  the 
Spirit.  So  then  they  that  are  in  the  flesh  cannot  please 
God,"  Rom.  viii.  5,  8.  These  passages  are  perfectly  de- 
cisive of  the  native  sinfulness,  and  utter  impotence  of  man. 

But  let  us  see  how  much  hitman  power  is  worth  in  the 
regeneration  of  the  soul.  As  to  the  understandings  the 
Bible  says,  "  The  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of 
the  Spirit  of  God,  for  they  are  foolishness  to  him ;  neither 
can  he  know  them,  because  they  are  spiritually  discerned," 
1  Cor.  ii.  14.  Of  his  hearty  it  declares,  "  The  heart  of  the 
sons  of  men  is  fully  set  in  them  to  do  evil."  Eccles.  viii, 
8,  In  reference  to  his  love  to  God^  its  decisive  testimony 
is,  "  The  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God,"  Rom.  viii.  7. 
And  in  relation  to  his  ability  to  achnovdedge  Christ,  it  says, 
"  No  man  can  say,  that  Jesus  is  the  Lord,  but  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,"  1  Cor.  xii.  3.  Then  we  ask  what  is  human 
power  worth  for  the  regeneration  and  salvation  of  the  soul? 

But,  to  put  this  question  beyond  all  reasonable  contro- 
versy, the  Scriptures  teach  that  the  unregenerate  do  not 
even  co-operate  with  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  regeneration  of 
the  soul.  On  the  contrary,  they  resist  and  oppose  him. 
This  is  a  strong  statement,  but  the  proof  of  its  truth  is  at 
hand,  and  in  abundant  measure.  There  is  with  the  natu- 
ral  man  not  merely  a  passive  aversion  to  religion,  but  an 
active  resistance  to  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  All  the 
sinner's  inclinations,  his  passions  and  lusts  are  in  direct  op- 
position to  the  motions  of  the  Spirit.  His  pride  of  reason, 
the  perverseness  of  his  will,  the  enmity  of  his  heart,  and  his 
deep  love  of  sin,  all  rise  up  in  arms  to  oppose  the  entrance 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  "And  the  Lord  said.  My  Spirit  shall 
not  always  strive  with  man."  Gen.  vi.  3.  This  striving 
of  the  Spirit  certainly  implies  active  resistance.  Satan  has 
been  so  long  in  undisputed  possession  of  the  sinner's  heart, 
that  he  will  not  yield  his  claim  to  lead  him  captive  at  his 
will,  without  a  desperate  struggle;  and  when  the  Holy 
Spirit  knocks  at  the  door  of  the  heart,  the  strong  man, 
armed  makes  every  effort  to  resist  the  Spirit,  and  to  bolt 
and  bar  up  the  door  against  his  admission.  At  such  a  time, 
all  is  alarm,  commotion  and  agitation  within :  the  flesh,  the 
2  287 


14  THE    WORK    OF    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT 

world,  and  the  devil  exert  all  their  power  to  exclude  the 
Spirit  of  God ;  and  were  it  not,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
almighty,  and  comes  in  the  day  of  his  2^owe?-,  the  sinner 
would  never  be  ivilling^  nor  be  regenerated. 

We  are  prepared  now  to  look  at  the  Scripture  proofs,  that 
regeneration  is  the  sole  and  exclusive  work  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  A  few  decisive  passages  will  be  sufficient  for  our 
purpose.  "  Except  a  man  be  born,"  says  the  Saviour,  "of 
water,  and  of  the  Spirit,  he  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  God,"  John  iii.  5.  Again;  "  It  is  the  Spirit  that  quick- 
eneth  ;  the  flesh  profiteth  nothing,"  vi.  63.  "  That  which 
is  born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh ;  and  that  which  is  born  of  the 
Spirit  is  Spirit,"  iii.  6.  And  Paul  says,  "  Not  by  works  of 
righteousness  which  we  have  done,  but  according  to  his 
mercy  he  saved  us,  by  the  washing  of  regeneration,  and 
renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  Tit.  iii.  5.  Other  passages 
show  that  the  poiver  exerted  in  regeneration  is  infinite, 
God  says,  "  A  new  heart  also  will  I  give  you,  and  a  new 
spirit  will  I  put  within  you ;  and  I  will  take  away  the  stony 
heart  out  of  your  flesh,  and  I  will  give  you  a  heart  of  flesh," 
Ezek.  xxxvi.  26.  The  same  power  that  created  the  mate- 
rial universe,  effects  the  new  and  spiritual  creation.  "  God 
who  commanded  the  light  to  shine  out  of  darkness,  hath 
shined  in  our  hearts,  to  give  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of 
the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ,"  2  Cor.  iv.  6. 

Having  thus  established,  as  we  think,  the  fundamental 
doctrine,  that  regeneration  is  the  sole  and  special  ivork  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  we  wish  to  notice  very  briefly  the  manner 
in  which  the  Holy  Spirit  commences  and  carries  forward 
this  great  work  in  the  soul.  We  can  but  barely  intimate 
the  views  which  we  regard  as  important  here. 

1.  Regeneration  is  always  sudden  and  instantaneous. 
This  is  not  always  true  o'i conversion,  which  we  wish  again 
to  distinguish  from  regeneration.  The  knowledge  of  sin, 
conviction  of  its  guilt,  and  repentance  before  God  on  ac- 
count of  it,  may  be,  and  frequently  are,  slow  and  gradual  in 
their  progress.  But  the  communication  of  light  and  life  to 
the  soul,  is  always  sudden  and  instantaneous; — as  much  so 
as  when,  in  the  creation  of  natural  light,  God  said,  "  Let 
there  be  light ;  and  there  was  light :"  or  when  the  Saviour 
communicated  life  to  Lazarus,  saying,  "  Lazarus,  come 
forth, — and  he  that  was  dead  came  forth."  In  these  cases 
there  was  simply  the  exertion  of  divine  power.  So  with 
the  smner,  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,  and  blinded  by  the 
god  of  this  world.  Means  may  be  employed,  and  are  to  be 
employed,  in  accordance  with  the  divine  purpose ;  but  they 
288 


ON   THE   HEARTS    OF    MEN.  15 

must  not  take  the  place  of  the  Holy  Spirit.     "  It  is  the 
Spirit  that  quickeneth  :  the  flesh  profiteth  nothing." 

2.  The  Holy  Spirit  acts  a  Sovereign  in  producing  re- 
generation. There  is  sovereignty  in  all  God's  works  and 
dealings.  If  it  be  asked  what  we  mean  by  the  divine  sove- 
reignty, we  reply  in  God's  own  words — "  I  will  have  mercy 
on  whom  I  will  have  mercy."  He  carries  forward  his  gra- 
cious purposes  of  wisdom  and  love, — chooses  or  rejects, — 
reveals  or  withholds — "  working  all  things  after  the  counsel 
of  his  own  will,"  <'  and  giving  no  account  of  any  of  his 
matters."  "  The  wind  bloweth  where  it  listeth,  and  thou 
hearest  the  sound  thereof,  but  canst  not  tell  whence  it 
cometh,  and  whither  it  goeth  :  so  is  every  one  that  is  born 
of  the  Spirit."  "  He  effectually  worketh  in  them  that  be- 
lieve." As  Matthew  Henry  says,  "  The  Spirit  dispenses 
his  influences  where,  and  when,  on  whom,  and  in  what 
measure  and  degree  he  pleases ;  dividing  to  every  man  seve- 
rally as  he  will,"  1  Cor.  xii.  11. 

3.  The  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  regeneration, 
are  of  his  own  free  grace.  He  sees  no  worthiness  in  the 
sinner  to  induce  him  to  come  into  his  heart.  Can  there  be 
worthiness  in  one  whom  the  Scriptures  declare  to  be  a  con- 
demned criminal, — a  guilty  rebel,— one  who  owes  ten 
thousand  talents,  and  has  nothing  to  pay, — one  whose  car- 
nal mind  is  enmity  against  God  ?  That  the  Holy  Spirit 
should  enter  the  heart  of  such  an  one,  and  convince  him 
of  sin,  and  subdue  the  hatred  and  break  down  the  rebellion 
of  his  heart,  and  seal  pardon  and  peace  on  his  conscience, 
surely  this  is  free  grace ;  it  is  unmerited  mercy  ;  it  is  love 
truly  sovereign  and  divine.  Thus  the  Holy  Spirit  comes, 
and  knocks,  and  unbolts  and  unbars  the  heart,  and  enters, 
and  creates  all  things  new  in  Christ  Jesus,  wholly  irre- 
spective of  merit  in  the  sinner. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  notice  the  other  parts  of  the 
Holy  Spirit's  work  on  the  hearts  of  men,  but  we  can  only 
give  a  very  brief  summary. 

Having  renewed  the  heart,  it  is  the  doctrine  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, that  he  dwells  in  it,  as  in  a  temple,  filling  it  with 
light,  and  love,  and  holiness,  and  life.  As  he  is  the  author, 
so  is  he  the  supporter  of  grace  in  the  Christian's  heart.  He 
breathed  spiritual  life  into  the  soul,  and  he  keeps,  and 
nourishes,  and  watches  over  it  there.  The  Christian  can- 
not keep  himself.  Nothing  good  originates  from  himself, 
or  is  sustained  by  his  own  power.  The  same  almighty 
power  that  implanted  the  principle  of  grace,  keeps  it  from 
Z  289 


16  THE    WORK    OF    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT,    ETC. 

decline  and  death.  It  is  the  Holy  Spirit,  then,  who  pro- 
duces in  the  child  of  God  the  hungering  and  thirsting  after 
righteousness, — the  lifting  up  of  the  heart  to  God  in  filial 
confidence  and  love, — the  sweet,  child-like  submission  to  the 
divine  will, — the  longing  after  more  enlarged  discoveries  of 
Christ, — the  constant  struggling  with  the  law  of  sin  in  the 
members, — and  the  mourning  over  the  indwelling  remains 
of  corruption — which  the  word  of  God  describes  as  charac- 
teristic of  him.  "  I  will  pray  the  Father,  and  he  shall  give  you 
another  Comforter,  that  he  may  abide  with  you  for  ever." 

This  blessed  Comforter  abides  in  the  believer  as  a  spirit 
of  holiness,  carrying  forward  the  sanctification  of  his  nature, 
and  is  his  witness,  comforter  and  guide,  in  proportion  as  the 
work  of  sanctification  advances  in  the  soul.  This  sanctifi- 
cation includes  true  scriptural  views  of  the  spirituality  of 
the  divine  law  and  conformity  to  it, — a  growing  resem- 
blance to  the  image  of  Christ, — an  increasingly  tender  con- 
science,— a  soft  and  gentle  walk, — deepening  views  of  the 
guilt  of  sin, — mourning  over,  confessing,  hating  and  cruci- 
fying it  at  the  cross, — and  a  more  complete  putting  on  of 
the  graces  of  the  Spirit.  Yes  ;  the  blessed  Spirit  restores 
order  and  purity,  and  re-establishes  the  reign  of  holiness 
over  man's  moral  nature  ;  he  sets  up  the  law  of  God  in  the 
soul,  unfolding  its  precepts  and  writing  them  on  the  heart  ; 
he  sheds  abroad  the  love  of  God  there,  and  leads  the  be- 
liever to  run  in  the  way  of  God's  commandments.  It  is 
true,  that  he  may  for  a  time  withdraw  his  sanctifying  and 
comforting  presence  :  he  may  be  so  grieved  by  a  careless 
and  unholy  walk,  as  to  suspend  his  sanctifying  and  wit- 
nessing influences,  and  permit  indwelling  corruptions,  for  a 
while,  to  triumph  :  but  he  restoreth  the  soul,  and  will  bring 
it  back  again.  "  For  a  small  moment  have  I  forsaken  thee  ; 
but  with  great  mercies  will  I  gather  thee." 

He  is  also  in  the  believer  as  a  Spirit  of  adoption,  as  a 
witness,  as  a  teacher  of  the  saints,  as  a  comforter,  and 
as  a  glorifier  of  Jesus.  All  these  gracious  operations  work- 
eth  that  one  and  the  self-same  Spirit,  who  dwells  in  the 
hearts  of  all  true  believers,  working  in  them  of  his  own 
good  pleasure,  both  to  will  and  to  do,  working  in  them  that 
which  is  well-pleasing  in  the  sight  of  God.  The  faithful,  ever 
blessed  Spirit  that  begins  the  good  work,  watches  over  it, 
and  effectually  carries  it  on  and  completes  it  in  the  ever- 
lasting salvation  of  the  soul. 

THE   END. 
290 


THE 


EXCLUSIVE  CLAIMS 


OP 


PRELACY, 


STATED    AND    KEFUTED 


BY  THE 

EEV.  B.  M.  SMITH. 


PHILADELPHIA  : 

PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION. 

291 


THE 


EXCLUSIVE 


CLAIMS  OF  PRELACY. 


Galatians  1 :  6,  7. — ••  Unto  another  Gospel,  which  is  not  another ;  but 
there  be  some  that  trouble  you,  and  would  pervert  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 

We  learn  from  the  fifteenth  chapter  of  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles,  that  certain  persons,  of  the  early  church,  who 
had  been  Pharisees,  and  other  Jews,  before  they  were  pro- 
fessing Christians,  taught,  that  "except  a  man  were  cir- 
cumcised and  kept  the  law  of  Moses,  he  could  not  be 
saved."  It  is  generally  supposed,  that  such  had  been 
actively  propagating  this  error  in  the  Galatian  church,  and 
are  exposed  and  denounced  by  the  Apostle,  in  the  passage 
cited  above. 

I.  The  Gospel  teaches  two  fundamental  truths  respect- 
ing the  way  of  salvation  :  one,  that  the  vicarious  obedience 
and  sufferings  of  Jesus  Christ,  constitute  the  meritorious 
ground  of  man's  justification  before  God ;  the  other,  that 
this  provision  is  applied  to  our  wants,  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
who  through  the  medium  of  God's  truth,  ordinarily,  "  con- 
vinces us  of  our  sin  and  misery,  enlightens  our  minds  in 
the  knowledge  of  Christ,  renews  our  wills,  and  enables  and 
persuades  us  to  embrace  Jesus  Christ,  freely  offered  to  us 
in  the  Gospel."  To  the  first  of  these  truths,  while  there 
has  been  great  diversity  of  opinion  on  the  nature  and 
extent,  both  of  the  evil  and  the  remedy,  there  has  been, 
among  all  Christians,  a  general  assent.  Though  some 
object  to  the  term  "  vicarious,"  others  reject  "  obedience," 
and  others  incorporate  something  of  human  merit  in  the 
z  2  3  293 


4  THE    EXCLUSIVE    CLAIMS 

"  ground  of  justification,"  yet  the  proposition,  at  least  in  its 
elementary  form,  "  Man  is  a  sinner  and  Christ  is  the  only 
Saviour,"  has  met  with  the  approbation  of  all,  claiming  to 
be  Christians.  The  latter  truth  involves  an  answer  to  the 
question,  "  how  does  man  procure  the  benefits  of  the  pur- 
chased redemption  1"  and  on  this  topic,  in  all  the  changes 
of  time,  the  corruptions  and  revivals  of  true  rehgion,  its 
trials  and  triumphs,  its  defeats  and  victories,  there  has  been 
one  distinctly  marked,  long  fought  and  yet  unended  con- 
flict. In  the  defence  of  the  erroneous  opinions  held  on 
this  topic,  many  have  been  led,  first  to  question,  and  then 
deny  the  fundamental  truths  of  the  Christian  scheme ;  and 
thus  made  shipwreck  of  the  faith  and  hope  of  the  gospel 
of  God. 

On  the  one  hand,  it  has  been  held,  that  we  derive  all 
spiritual  benefits  through  the  direct  agency  of  the  Holy 
Spirit ;  and  that  while  God  has  instituted  and  preserved  a 
human  and  a  sacramental  instrumentality,  for  dispensing 
those  benefits,  he  has  given  to  neither,  nor  to  both  united, 
any  inherent  efficacy.  Paul  and  Apollos  were  but  minis- 
ters. The  treasure  of  the  Gospel  is  borne  in  earthen  ves- 
sels, that  the  excellency  of  the  power  may  be  of  God  and 
not  of  men.  Christ  and  his  apostles  alike,  taught  to  judge 
of  ministers  by  their  doctrine,  not  doctrine  by  ministers. 
The  sacraments  are  signs  of  spiritual  benefits  and  seals  or 
marks  of  God's  favour.  This  view  of  the  subject,  from 
the  prominence  it  gives  to  the  Spirit,  and  the  subordination 
in  which  it  holds,  and  that  scripturally,  all  instrumentali- 
ties, is  called  the  Religion  of  the  Spirit. 

On  the  other  hand,  from  Paul's  day  to  our  own,  it  has 
been  contended,  by  various  sects  and  in  various  schemes, 
that  to  derive  spiritual  benefit,  whether  recognizing  the 
agency  of  the  Spirit  or  not,  we  must  approach  God  by 
some  commendatory  service,  and  wait  on  some  specified 
instrumentality,  as  the  sole  symbol  of  his  presence,  and  the 
consecrated  channel  of  his  grace.  The  Jew  designated 
circumcision  ;  the  Roman  Catholic,  usurping  the  place  of 
the  Spirit,  authoritatively  to  instruct,  and  of  Christ,  sav- 
ingly to  mediate,  pointed  to  fasts  and  vigils,  the  feasts  and 
penances,  pilgrimages  and  confessionals  of  the  Church. 
The  fanatic  presumed  that  vociferous  shoutings,  unearthly 
groans,  bodily  contortions  or  fantastic  evolutions  would 
draw  down  God's  favour.  The  formalist  trusted  in  shaved 
heads  and  unwashen  faces,  appointed  times,  prolonged  ser- 
vices and  misshapen  dresses.  Strange  but  true,  that  ex- 
294 


OF    PRELACY.  O 

tremes  in  result  should  be  identical  in  principle  ;•  the  stub- 
born Pharisee,  the  cowled  monk  and  veiled  nun,  the  medi- 
tative hermit,  and  the  ranting  zealot,  the  bearded  Men- 
nonite  and  the  prim  formalist,  of  whatever  name,  are 
brethren  of  the  one  greatest  phase  of  perverted  religion, 
the  Religion  of  Form. 

Here  then,  are  comprehensively  presented  the  two  great 
divisions  on  the  question,  "  how  does  man  procure  the 
benefits  of  the  purchased  redemption?" 

There  has,  for  centuries,  existed  in  the  pale  of  the  visible 
Christian  church,  a  class  of  men,  setting  forth  a  theory  on 
this  subject,  whose  statement  enables  us,  at  once,  to  assign 
them  a  place  in  the  latter  division.  Through  sermons, 
decrees,  bulls,  pamphlets,  volumes  of  every  size,  and 
tracts  from  one  to  ninety ;  by  popes,  councils,  cardinals, 
legates,  archbishops,  bishops,  priests,  archdeacons,  dea- 
cons, and  deans,  in  churches,  and  parliament  halls,  at 
the  fireside  and  on  the  street,  in  counting  rooms  and  offices, 
and  even  amid  scenes  of  festivity ;  in  season  and  out  of 
season,  from  the  date  of  papal  supremacy  to  our  day — it 
has  been,  and  is  maintained,  that  there  is  no  efficient  ac- 
cess to  God,  other  than  within  the  pale  of  the  Church,  con- 
stituted with  a  triple  order  of  ministers,  bishops,  presby- 
ters, and  deacons,  and  which  recognises  the  first,  as  solely 
authorized  to  ordain  others  and  govern  the  house  of  God : 
that  there  is  no  channel  of  intercourse  between  heaven  and 
earth,  other  than  that,  marked  out  by  the  corruptions  of 
the  primitive  Church,  dug  amid  the  darkness  of  the  middle 
ages,  and  filled  with  the  stream  of  prelatic  grace.  Such  a 
system  rests  on  a  form,  vests  all  rights  and  privileges  of 
the  Christian  scheme  in  man ;  sets  aside  the  call  of  God 
and  the  call  of  his  people  for  the  word  of  a  prelate,  and 
bases  the  existence  of  the  church  on  the  canonical  per- 
formance of  a  RITE,  which  however  scriptural  and  how- 
ever important  in  its  place,  confers  no  character ;  is  decla- 
rative, not  impressive  of  qualification,  a  form  and  not  the 
substance.  This  scheme  is  another  Gospel.  To  the 
scriptural  requisition  of  faith  in  Christ,  it  adds  faith  in  tke 
Church,  faith  in  succession,  faith  in  a  form,  as  the  Jew 
would  have  added,  faith  in  circumcision.  It  is  another 
Gospel,  for  it  even  usurps  the  place  of  the  true,  and  pro- 
claims more  virtue  resident  in  canonical  ordination,  sacra- 
ments and  forms  of  worship,  than  in  the  simple  preaching 
of  the  cross  of  Christ.  It  is  another  gospel,  and  yet 
not  another,  but  a  pernicious  error,  for  the  trouble  of 
1  *  295 


6  THE    EXCLUSIVE    CLAIMS 

God's  church,  for  the  destruction  of  peace  and  charity,  for 
the  dishonour  of  Christ,  for  the  grief  of  the  pious,  and  for 
the  joy  of  the  devils. 

II.  Let  none  misunderstand  the  subject  of  this  discus- 
sion. The  extravagant  pretensions  now  summarily  stated, 
and  presently  to  be  more  fully  set  forth,  are  not  imputed 
to  the  Episcopal  Church  as  such,  either  in  England  or 
America,  though  they  are  pretensions  recently  advanced 
with  great  zeal,  and  propagated  with  an  industry  worthy  of 
a  better  cause,  by  clergymen  of  that  church,  in  both  hem- 
ispheres. But  till  formally  and  avowedly  adopted  as  ex- 
pository of  her  principles,  the  controversy  is  not  with  the 
Episcopal  Church,  but  with  all  whether  of  Rome,  Lambeth, 
Oxford,  Raleigh,  Burlington,  or  New  York,  who  proclaim 
this  other  gospel.  Prelacy  and  Episcopacy  are  not 
synonymous  in  usage,  whatever  they  may  be  by  etymo- 
logy. Those  who  advocate  the  claims  under  discussion, 
teach  the  difference.  Say  the  Oxford  Divines,  "  We  are 
of  the  church,  not  the  Episcopal  Church, — our  Bishops 
are  not  merely  an  order  in  her  organization,  but  the  prin- 
ciple of  her  continuance :  and  to  call  ourselves  Epis- 
copalians is  to  imply,  that  we  differ  from  the  mass  of  dis- 
senters mainly  in  church  Government  and  form,  whereas 
the  difference  is,  that  we  are  here  and  they  are  there  ;  we 
in  the  church,  and  they  out  of  it."  Presbyterians 
acknowledge  a  parochial  Episcopacy,  and  as  designating 
a  form  of  Government,  might  be  termed  Episcopalians. 
"  They  reject  prelacy  not  Episcopacy,  modern  not  prim- 
itive, diocesan  not  scriptural  Episcopacy^''  Nor  is  the 
controversy  with  the  Episcopal  church  as  novj  organized 
as  a  form  of  government.  It  recognizes  the  prominent 
scriptural  principles  of  a  church  government.  But  prela- 
tists  claim  to  possess  the  mode  and  the  only  scriptural 
mode  of  polity.  Nor  is  this  a  controversy  about  forms  of 
worship,  rites  and  ceremonies.  Episcopalians  may  use  a 
liturgy,  read  prayers  in  a  surplice,  and  sermons  in  a  black 
silk  robe  ;  fast  during  Lent,  and  feast  at  Christmas,  Easter, 
Whitsunday,  and  Michaelmas  ;  observe  as  they  please 
every  saints'-day  in  the  papal  calendar ;  kneel  at  the  Lord's 
Supper,  and  make  the  sign  of  the  cross  in  baptism ;  kneel 
in  public  prayer  and  stand  in  public  praise ;  bow  at  the 
mention  of  the  name  of  Jesus,  and  consecrate  churches  and 
burying-grounds;  "regenerate"  infants,  and  confirm  adults: 
we  have  only  to  say,  that  if  they  derive  edification  from 
such  things,  we  shall  not  dispute  their  right  to  worship  as 
296 


OF    PRELACY.  7 

they  please :  to  their  own  master  they  stand  or  fall ;  but 
we  find  neither  scriptural  injunction  nor  commendation  for 
them.  Nay  more,  if  they  see  fit,  they  may  follow  the  Ox- 
ford divines^  and  indulge  to  a  surfeit,  in  the  "  tolerable  fool- 
eries" of  papal  superstition  ; — erect  crosses  on  steeples  and 
at  cross  roads ;  (it  may  be,)  burn  candles  of  any  and  all 
sizes,  during  day-light,  on  the  high  altar,  or  any  other ; 
wear  four-cornered  caps  and  parti-coloured  gowns,  and 
mimic  the  full  routine  of  priestly  pantomime,  according  to 
the  pattern  shown  at  St.  Peter's, — and,  provided  they  do 
not  insist  on  our  conformity,  as  was  once  done^  on  pain  of 
cropped  ears,  slit  noses,  expulsion,  banishment,  confisca- 
tion, torture,  fiery  death,  and  cruel  mockings,  we  are  in- 
disposed to  complain,  denounce  or  dispute.  To  their  own 
master  they  stand  or  fall.  But,  when  the  prelatist  tells  us 
and  tells  the  world,  there  is  no  salvation  out  of  the  pale  of 
that  church,  whose  government  he  advocates,  that,  for  all 
who  hear  him,  the  alternative  is  prelacy  or  perdition,  we 
are  constrained  to  protest,  in  the  name  of  truth  and  holi- 
ness, justice  and  mercy,  heaven  and  earth,  God  and  man. 
There  is  a  time  to  be  silent  and  a  time  to  speak.  The 
boldness,  pertinacity  and  frequency  with  which  these  pre- 
tensions are  put  forward,  the. comparative  ignorance  on  the 
general  subject  existing  among  our  own  churches,  in  con- 
sequence of  our  unwillingness  to  engender  controversy,  and 
the  general  desire  for  information  now  every  where  existing 
and  increasing,  together  designate  a  time  to  speak.  There 
are  other  considerations  which  indicate  the  propriety  and 
necessity  of  this  discussion. 

III.  1.  These  pretensions,  if  admitted,  not  only  invali- 
date Presbyterian  ordination,  but  they  sap  the  foundation 
of  every  Christian's  hope.  He  has  been  taught  to  believe 
that  "  repentance  toward  God  and  faith  toward  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,"  constitute  the  only  indispensable  condition 
of  salvation.  But  now  he  must,  to  be  satisfied  of  his  spi- 
ritual safety,  know  that  he  has  received  sacraments  at  the 
hands  of  the  validly  ordained  minister,  and  of  this  fact,  not 
one  in  one  thousand  has  any  means  of  assurance,  other 
than  a  testimony,  as  we  shall  have  occasion  to  show,  far 
from  being  irrefragable. 

2.  There  is  a  large  class  of  persons,  especially  in  our 
southern  country,  who  since  infidelity  has  become  unfash- 
ionable, are  unwilling  to  be  without  some  kind  of  religion. 
Presbyterianism  and  other  forms  of  "  dissenV  are  deemed 
by  such  not  "  fit  for  gentlemen,"  and  without  any  other 

297 


8  THE    EXCLUSIVE    CLAIMS 

than  a  nominal  connexion,  they  call  themselves  Episcopa- 
lians. To  such,  a  system  presenting  so  prominently,  sal- 
vation on  the  terms  of  validly  administered  sacraments,  is 
a  most  comfortable  religion. 

3.  To  this  may  be  added  another  similar  observation. 
Among  plain  republicans  there  has  come  to  pass  in  these 
latter  days  a  great  fondness  for  marks  of  distinction,  for 
ceremony,  pomp  and  show,  especially  in  religious  worship ; 
together  with  an  overweening  propensity  to  do  homage  to 
rank  and  title.  The  whole  tendency  of  these  pretensions 
is  the  elevation  of  prelatical  power.  Witness,  among  other 
things,  the  results  already  secured,  as  read  in  the  fact,  that 
sixty 'five  protestant  clergymen  could  be  found  receiving  on 
their  knees  the  blessing  of  a  prelate,  whose  bold  assumptions 
they  had  so  cordially  sustained.*  Let  the  mind  be  once 
spiritually  enslaved,  and  little  need  be  done  to  effect  its 
political  thraldom.  To  the  Episcopal  church  as  heretofore 
constituted  and  governed  in  this  country,  we  have  not  re- 
cognized any  peculiar  propriety  of  charging  the  principles, 
indicated  in  the  celebrated  motto  of  James  I,  "  No  bishop, 
no  king,"  but  we  have  read  history  to  little  purpose,  if 
there  be  not  fearful  indications  for  our  future  welfare,  in 
the  tame  submission  of  our  people,  in  some  places,  to  the 
dictation  of  papal  bishops :  and  we  know  not  how  soon, 
men  who  claim  and,  unrebuked,  exercise  the  spiritual 
power  vested  in  prelates  and  presbyters  by  the  dogmas 
under  discussion,  will  have  prepared  a  people  for  all  the 
extremes,  first  of  ecclesiastical,  and  then  of  political  tyranny* 
It  must  be  remembered,  that  people  enamoured  of  pageantry 
and  display,  in  religious  worship,  will  hardly  have  the  pue- 
rile taste  thus  engendered,  satiated  with  less  than  the  stars 
and  trimmings,  the  trappings  and  insignia  of  nobility  and 
royalty.  As  Presbyterians, — a  people  ever  noted  for  op- 
position to  all  arbitrary  rule, — it  is  our  duty  to  oppose  the 
beginnings  of  this  evil. 

4.  There  has  evidently  been  latterly  manifested  in  low 
churchmen,  a  tendency  to  revive  and  use  the  language  and, 
hold  a  bearing  toward  non-Episcopal  churches,  which  was 
many  years  ago  deemed  the  peculiar  province  of  high 
churchmen.  Were  there  time  for  it,  it  could  easily  be 
shown,  that  the  fathers  of  the  English  church  recognized 
other  protestant  communions  and  their  clergy  as  occupy- 
ing an  equal  position  with  their  own.     When,  some  years 

*  This  occurred  in  New  York,  before  Bishop  Onderdonk,  previously  to 
his  suspension  for  immorality.     Editor  of  Board  of  Publication . 
299 


OF    PRELACY.  9 

since,  a  few  ultra,  spirits  in  New  York,  North  Carolina  and 
other  places,  began  to  speak  great  swelling  words  of  vanity 
about  "  dissenters,"  "  ike  church,''''  "  uncovenanted  mer- 
cies," "  valid  ordination,"  "  episcopal  grace,"  it  was 
thought  by  many  that  the  best  way  to  treat  such  men, 
would  be  the  pursuit  of  a  coui'se,  somewhat  similar  to  that, 
with  which  we  would  indicate  our  contempt  for  the  pre- 
tensions of  half  a  score  of  Chinese  mandarins,  who  might 
appear  among  us,  claiming  to  be  the  only  gentlemen  in  the 
land.  But  now,  where  is  the  Bishop  of  the  Episcopal 
church  who  will  admit  to  ministerial  communion,  ministers 
of  other  churches ;  and  yet  would  he  deny  the  privilege  to 
Roman  priests?  What  Episcopal  minister  will  dare  ac- 
knowledge our  administration  of  baptism  to  be  more  valid 
than  that  of  physicians,  male  or  female  ?  We  do  not  know 
that  our  ordination  was  ever  acknowledged  as  valid  in  the 
United  States,  but  it  has  been  in  England,  in  times  past, 
yet  what  Episcopal  bishop  will  now  acknowledge  it  ?  We 
learn,  to-day,  from  the  Southern  Churchman,  that  twenty- 
five  years  ago,  children  in  Episcopal  families  were  early 
taught  the  distinction  between  "  going  to  church"  and 
"  going  to  meeting."  We  should  be  obliged  to  the  writer 
for  an  elucidation  of  the  facts,  if  it  be  other  than  a  refusal 
to  recognize,  as  authorized  worship,  that  existing  in  non- 
Episcopal  communions.  And  he  intimates  that  such  a 
training  should  be  renewed ;  that  after  all  Puseyism  and 
genuine  liturgical  Episcopacy  are  very  near  of  kin.  Some 
have  surmised  as  much  before. 

5.  Public  sentiment,  in  many  parts  of  our  country,  has 
already  received  such  impressions,  that  the  progress  of 
their  high  claims,  must,  if  unrebuked,  be  very  rapid.  By 
some  means,  Episcopacy  has,  by  many,  been  considered  a 
very  genteel  religion.  In  our  army  and  navy  it  is  said, 
and  yet  uncontradicted,  that  the  large  majority  of  chaplains 
are  Episcopalians.  Our  polite  literature,  so  called,  and 
some  of  the  fine  arts  have  contributed  to  the  popularity  of 
this  church.  Descriptions  and  embellishments  in  tales, 
annuals  and  magazines,  representing  baptisms,  marriages, 
death  beds,  and  burials,  very  generally  set  them  forth  in 
connexion  with  such  symbols  of  Episcopacy,  as  clergymen 
in  vestments,  altars,  and  praj^er  books.  When  religious 
speech  is  introduced,  we  read  of  "  the  venerable  liturgy," 
"  the  church,"  "  the  beautiful  and  impressive  burial  ser- 
vice," "  dignified  bishop,"  and  the  like.  We  do  not  object 
to  all  this,  ia  itself  considered.     We  can  and  do  reioice  if 

299'' 


10  THE    EXCLUSIVE    CLAIMS 

the  gospel  be  preached  unto  any  and  received  by  any, 
through  other  churches,  if  they  reject  us ;  but  the  class  of 
persons  who  are  influenced  by  these  things,  are  those  who, 
for  obvious  reasons,  may  be  led,  more  readily  to  acquiesce, 
without  examination,  in  a  scheme  of  religion,  which  rests 
on  a  form,  and  rejoices  more  in  regularity  and  canonical 
order,  than  in  holiness  of  heart  and  life,  and  conformity  to 
God's  law. 

We  then  repeat,  that  for  such  considerations  we  deem  it 
time  to  speak  out.  Were  the  matters  at  issue  mere  ques- 
tions about  words,  and  did  they  only  occasion  a  controversy 
in  the  Episcopal  church,  it  would  be  alike  needless  and 
uncourteous  for  us  to  meddle.  But  the  signs  of  the  times 
evidently  indicate  the  revival  of  the  great  conflict  of  Christ- 
endom, with  renewed  energy.  Perhaps  it  is  "  the  last 
time."  The  contest  may  be  long.  Other  than  spiritual 
weapons  may  be  used.  Our  mountain-caves,  and  recesses, 
may  serve  other  purposes  than  amusement  and  refreshment 
to  the  curious  or  weary  traveller.  Like  those  of  Scotland, 
they  may  become  consecrated  as  the  refuges  of  God's  peo- 
ple, to  be  hallowed  by  their  midnight  worship,  and  stained 
with  their  blood.  But  the  victory  is  sure.  "  Truth  crush- 
ed to  earth,  will  rise  again ;  the  eternal  years  of  God  are 
hers." 

The  controversy  is  not  between  Episcopalians  and  Pres- 
byterians, but  between  truth  and  error  :  the  devices  of  man 
and  the  simple  faith  and  simple  order  of  the  gospel  of  God. 
To  be  silent  longer  on  such  a  subject,  would  be  treason  to 
the  proteslant  cause  ; — treason  to  our  own  church,  mainly 
assailed ;  treason  to  Christ's  cross,  crown,  covenant  and 
kingdom,  traduced,  despised  and  set  at  naught,  for  the 
claims  of  usurpers ;  treason  to  the  memory  of  martyred 
thousands  in  England,  Scotland,  Ireland,  Germany,  France, 
Switzerland,  and  Holland,  who  took  joyfully  the  spoiling 
of  their  goods,  and  surrendered  home  and  life  itself,  in  a 
cause,  in  whose  defence,  we  jeopard  but  a  little  bubble  of 
reputation. 

IV.  To  show  that  we  bring  no  railing  accusation,  it  may 
be  important  to  present  more  fully  the  exclusive  pretensions 
of  prelacy,  although  to  some,  the  summary  already  given 
might  suffice.  Out  of  a  mass,  whose  exposition  would  oc- 
cupy more  hours  than  we  have  minutes  to  spare,  we  wih 
select  and,  as  far  as  possible,  in  the  words  of  these  ecclesi- 
astical Ishmaelites  themselves,  present  a  succinct  statement 
of  their  claims.  They  say,  that  there  is  an  order  of  clergy 
300 


OF    PRELACY.  11 

superior  to  presbyters,  whom  they  call  bishops,  who  are  the 
lineal  successors  of  the  apostles  and  with  whom  are  depos- 
ited all  the  treasures  of  ministerial  order  and  succession ; 
that  Episcopal  ordination  enters  into  the  essence  of  a  church : 
that  the  order  of  the  gospel  is  as  important  as  its  doctrine, 
and  that  this  order  is  alone  Episcopal.  Bishop  Seabury 
tells  us,  "  In  the  church  of  Christ  we  have  the  govern- 
ments, faith,  sacraments,  worship,  and  ministry  ; — out  of 
it,  we  are  sure  of  none  of  these  things."  To  this  we  ac- 
cord, but  bishop  Seabury  says  further,  *'  Christ  has  but  one 
church,''  and  that  being  the  Episcopal,  there  is  no  hope  out 
of  it.  Bishop  Meade  has  so  well  described  these  claims, 
that  we  use  his  language,  (yet  happy  in  the  conviction  that 
he  does  not  sympathize  in  the  sentiments  he  records,)  "  To 
dispense  with  Episcopal  ordination  is  not  a  breach  of  order 
merely,"  (so  we  suppose  bishop  M.  regards  it,)  "  but  a  sur- 
render of  THE  Christian  triesthood,  and  the  attempt  to 
institute  any  other  form  of  ordination,  or  to  seek  commu- 
nion with  Christ,  through  any  non-Episcopal  association, 
is  to  be  regarded,  not  as  a  schism  merely,  but  as  an  iin- 
'possibility^''  This  necessity  for  Episcopal  ordination  is 
based  on  the  claim,  "  that  bishops  and  they  only  have  re- 
ceived from  their  predecessors  and  they  from  theirs,  back 
to  the  apostles,  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  thus  preserved 
in  the  world  and  transmitted  ;  and  this  gift  empowers  them 
to  receive  into  the  church  and  exclude  from  it,  with  the 
assurance,  that  what  they  do  is  ratified  in  heaven. 

"  A  doctrinal  catechism  of  the  church  of  England,"  re- 
cently published  in  London,  contains,  among  other  things, 
the  following  precious  "  milk  for  babes." 

"  Q.  Are  not  dissenting  teachers  ministers  of  the  gospel? 
A.  No ;  they  have  never  been  called  after  the  manner  of 
Aaron."     [And  who  have  been  1] 

"  Q.  Who  appoints  dissenting  teachers  ?  A.  They  either 
wickedly  appoint  each  other,  or  are  not  appointed  at  all  ; 
and  so  in  either  case  their  assuming  the  office  is  very 
wicked. 

"  Q.  But  are  not  dissenting  teachers  thought  to  be  very 
good  menl"  [Such  e.  g.  as  Baxter,  Doddridge,  Watts, 
Payson,  Alleine,  Bunyan,  and  Owen.]  "  A.  They  are  of- 
ten thought  to  be  such,  and  so  were  Korah,  Dathan,  and 
Abiram,  till  God  showed  them  to  be  very  wicked. 

"  Q.  But  may  we  not  hear  them  preach?     A.  No;  for 
God  says,  '  Depart  from  the  tents  of  these  wicked  men.'  " 
2  A  301 


12  THE    EXCLUSIVE    CLAIMS 

Happy  children,  with  such  instruction !  Verily  may  ye 
hope  to  be  wiser  than  your  teachers ! 

It  is  not  surprising  then,  that  all  non-Episcopal  churches 
and  ministers,  though  constituting  a  large  majority  of  Pro- 
testant Christendom,  (in  the  United  States  the  ministers  as 
14  to  1  and  members  as  34  to  1,)  are  branded  as  "pre- 
tended ministers,"  "  sectaries,"  "  meetingers,"  "  schisma- 
tics," "  dissenting  mountebanks,"  "  ministers  of  hell." 
Quite  consistent  to  tell  us,  "  wilful  opposition  to  Episcopacy 
is  rebellion  against  God,  and  must  therefore  separate  from 
his  presence  :"  and  "  they  who  reject  this  dispensation,  re- 
ject themselves  from  God  and  his  salvation."  Quite  legit- 
imate is  the  inference  that  a  clergyman  of  the  church  of 
England  may  be  fresh  from  a  ball,  a  card  party,  a  mistress, 
or  a  race-field,  and  yet,  not  the  holiest  dissenting  divine, 
possesses  such  clerical  power  as  this  abandoned  scion  of 
prelatical  generation.* 

Such  then  is  more  fully  a  specimen  of  pretensions  which 
we  pronounce  another  gospel.  Were  there  time  it  were 
easy  to  refute  each  of  the  extravagant  and  absurd  positions 
here  presented,  by  both  reason,  common  sense  and  scrip- 
ture. But  we  prefer  seeking  the  basis  of  them  all  and  if 
this  be  found  unsupported  by  scripture,  the  whole  fall 
together. 

V.  If  this  air-built  fabric  can  be  said  to  have  any  basis, 
it  is  contained  in  these  two  propositions.  1.  There  was 
instituted  by  Christ  an  order  of  clergy  superior  to  presby- 
ters,  called,  first,  apostles,  then  bishops,  to  whom  alone  was 
committed  the  power  to  ordain  others. 

2.  That  there  has  existed  a  lineal,  unbroken  succession, 
from  the  apostles  down  to  the  present  bishops  of  Episcopal 
churches. 

It  is  obvious,  that  if  the  first  proposition  cannot  be  sus- 
tained, the  latter  necessarily  fails.  We  feel  prepared  to 
show  that  the  first  cannot  be  sustained,  and  although, 
therefore,  the  full  discussion  of  the  second  is  not  necessary 
to  our  argument,  yet  since  the  subject  has  been  latterly 
much  canvassed,  we  offer  a  few  summary  observations. 

1.  Establishing  the  fact  of  a  personal  prelatical  succes- 
sion, establishes  that  of  Presbyterian  succession  ;  for  the 
prelate  was  first  a  presbyter  :  or  if  this  be  questioned,  then, 
since  the  greater  includes  the  less,  the  prelate,  as  such, 
was  presbyter.  To  us,  either  solution  is  indifferent,  for  we 
make  no  distinction  of  order. 

*  See  note  at  the  close. 
302 


OF    PKELACY.  13 

• 

2.  Supposing  every  link  in  the  chain  of  succession 
clearly  proved,  so  far  as  uninspired  testimony  can  do  it,  it 
must  yet  be  shown  by  scripture,  that  the  first  link  existed, 
i.  e.  that  prelacy  was  divinely  instituted.  If  that  can  be 
done,  however  gratifying  a  lineal  succession  might  be,  it 
would  not  be  indispensable  to  prove  it,  to  secure  our  ready 
submission  to  a  prelate  holding  apostolic  doctrine.  If  that 
cannot  be  done,  the  most  irrefragable  human  testimony  to 
a  lineal  succession,  only  proves  succession  to  that  order, 
which  was  divinely  constituted,  by  whatever  name  known. 

3.  Prelatists  triumphantly  tell  us,  the  succession  was 
uninterrupted  from  the  earliest  ages  to  the  16th  century. 
But  the  "  earliest  ages"  do  not  reach  to  the  apostles'  times 
by  at  least  a  century.  Then,  say  they,  that  early  and 
undisputed  existence,  at  the  time,  can  only  be  accounted 
for,  on  the  supposition  of  a  divine  authority.  Now  we  are 
prepared,  were  there  time,  to  show  that  the  earliest  exist- 
ence of  prelacy  can  otherwise  be  fully  accounted  for,  and 
that  the  claims  of  prelacy  were  disputed  in  the  earliest 
times  of  its  existence.  But  if  this  famous  and  vaunted 
argument  proves  any  thing,  it  proves  too  much,  as  all 
efforts  to  reason  facts  into  existence  must  do.  The  Roman- 
ists undertake  to  sustain  their  system  in  the  same  way. 
Says  the  prelatist,  there  are  bishops  now,  there  were  others 
to  ordain  them,  and  so  back  to  the  earliest  age.  What 
existed  a.  d.  300  must  have  existed  a.  d,  250  and  a.  d. 
150  and  a.  d.  50,  and  so  be  apostolic.  Says  the  Roman- 
ist, there  are  popes  and  cardinals  and  monks  and  nuns 
now,  and  these  we  trace  to  the  earliest  age,  and  if  they 
existed  then,  they  must  have  existed  fifty  and  fifly  and  fifty 
years  before,  and  so  they  are  stretched  to  apostolic  days. 

But  all  this  is  in  vain.  No  successful  effort  has  yet 
been  made  to  fasten  the  first  link,  nor  the  second,  nor  the 
third.  We  challenge  the  production  of  reliable  evidence 
to  the  existence  of  a  prelate,  or  the  practice  of  more  than 
one  ordination,  for  the  same  person,  within  the  first  two 
centuries. 

4.  Equally  untenable  is  the  celebrated  position,  that  the 
proof  adduced  to  sustain  a  lineal  succession  of  prelates,  is 
identical  in  kind  and  as  strong  in  degree,  as  that  on  which 
"we  rest  the  authority  of  the  scriptures.  On  this,  it  may 
be  observed,  (1.)  The  evidence  of  early  writers  for  the 
authority  of  scripture,  is  their  testimony  to  the  existence, 
in  their  age,  of  the  books  of  the  New  Testament.  Their 
inspiration  is  proved  by  independent  evidences.     This  is 

2  303 


14  THE    EXCLUSIVE    CLAIMS 

• 

testimony  to  one  set  of  facts  of  one  date.  Jt  is  confirmed 
by  that  of  ancient  translations  of  the  New  Testament,  and 
by  the  existence  of  manuscripts,  which  though  not  very 
old,  yet  being  of  various  countries,  (or  families,)  are  inde- 
pendent witnesses  ;  and  the  continued  reception  of  the  same 
books,  in  succeeding  ages,  constitutes  an  accumulating  tes- 
timony to  this  set  of  facts  of  one  date.  (2.)  But  accord- 
ing to  prelatical  principles,  to  establish  the  valid  ordination 
of  a  prelate,  we  must  have  testimony  of  his  valid  baptism 
and  valid  ordination  to  the  office  of  a  presbyter.  To  make 
out  each  point,  we  must  be  able  to  prove  that  each  person, 
participating  in  his  baptism  and  ordinations,  had  received 
the  requisite  authority.  This  requires  proof  again  for  the 
third  set  introduced,  and  so  on  back.  We  observe  here, 
that  as  the  same  persons  who  ordain  may  not  have  bap- 
tized the  candidate  or  ordained  him  presbyter,  and  as  three 
are  required  to  unite  in  ordination,  every  remove  back, 
multiplies  the  number  of  valid  baptisms  and  ordinations  to 
be  established.  We  leave  to  those  fond  of  "  endless  gene- 
alogies" the  arithmetical  calculations  involved.  Even  im- 
agination grows  weary  in  computing  probabilities  of  inva- 
lidity ;  fact  is  displaced  by  chance,  and  each  prelatical 
generation  involves  us  deeper  and  more  hopelessly  in  the 
intricacies  of  this  ecclesiastical  labyrinth.  For  the  au- 
thority of  scripture,  the  testimony  has  accumulated  with 
every  successive  generation,  while  for  that  of  prelatical  suc- 
cession, its  strength  is  inversely  as  the  square  of  the  dis- 
tance of  any  given  prelate,  counting  by  generations,  from 
the  apostolical  age. 

Says  Chillingworth,  (of  the  English  church,)  "  It  is  not 
improbable  that  among  the  many  millions,  which  make  up 
the  Roman  hierarchy,"  and  we  may  say  the  same  of  that 
of  the  Episcopal  church — "  There  are  not  twenty  true." 
A  recent  writer  in  the  London  Christian  Observer,  truly 
remarks,  "  To  trace  this  succession  according  to  prelatical 
views,  will  drive  one  either  to  Rome  or  infidelity." 

5.  Difficulties  in  this  scheme  thicken  as  we  advance. 
It  has  been  denied  that  the  church  of  England  derived 
orders  from  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  "  The  Anglican 
church  was  ever  independent,"  we  are  told,  but  it  cannot 
be  denied,  that  the  fathers  of  the  English  church  were 
ordained  by  men,  who  had  lived  and  died  in  connection 
with  Rome,  whatever  may  have  been  their  claims  to  an 
ecclesiastical  genealogy,  independent  of  the  papal.  Till 
Henry  VIII.  and  his  parliament  threw  off  the  Roman  yoke, 
304 


OF    PRELACY.  15 

England  was,  as  history  shows,  from  the  entrance  of  the 
first  papal  legate  into  London,  under  papal  dominion.  It 
can  be  proved  by  a  list  of  authors,  six  inches  long,  that  the 
reformation  was  regarded  by  those  who  effected  it,  and 
others,  as  a  separation.  But  prelatists  now  say,  "  the  Ro- 
man Catholic  is  a  church  of  Christ,  her  orders  are  valid  ;'* 
she  is  hailed  as  a  sister  or  mother.  Here  then  is  separa- 
tion from  a  church  of  Christ,  which  prelatists  say,  "  sepa- 
rates from  Christ  himself."  We  Presbyterians  need  not 
complain  of  being  unchurched  by  men  who  thus  unchurch 
their  own  ecclesiastical  ancestry. 

In  this  connexion  it  is  well  to  observe,  that  the  separa- 
tion was  effected  by  act  of  Parliament,  that  the  ordination 
of  bishops  was  confirmed  by  the  same,  the  headship  of  the 
church  placed  in  the  crown,  by  the  same ;  and  that  after 
all  that  is  said  about  validity,  succession  in  the  English 
church,  is  succession  to  authority,  whose  prime  source 
resides  in  a  temporal  prince  or  princess,  as  the  case  may 
be. 

6.  Had  we  time,  we  would  enlarge  on  some  awkward 
matters  touching  the  succession  in  the  American  church. 
There  was  a  considerable  discussion,  not  to  say  contro- 
versy, in  the  "  unity"  churchy  (of  which  the  records  are 
in  existence,)  thirty-two  years  ago,  touching  an  ordination 
of  Griswold  and  Hobart,  (yes,  Hobart  ! !)  Some  words  of 
"  the  book"  were  omitted  to  be  "  said  or  sung,"  in  the  pro- 
cess of  ordination,  and  some  said  the  act  was  invalid  and 
some  said  not.  Poor  Presbyterians  dare  not  discuss" such 
"  high  matters  ;"  so  we  pass  on.  There  was  another  case, 
of  doubts  about  a  certain  bishop's  baptism. 

Let  it  ever  be  remembered  too,  that  we  owe  the  inestima- 
ble privilege  of  having  ever  seen  a  bishop  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  church  in  the  United  States  to  the  English  govern- 
ment. It  is  notorious,  that  the  first  bishops  in  this  country 
received  their  ordination  from  English  bishops,  who  could 
not  legally  perform  the  service,  without  asking  and  obtain- 
ing permission  of  the  English  government  to  do  so. 

7.  Led  by  such  and  similar  difficulties,  to  reject  the 
theory  of  a  prelatical  succession,  it  is  not  to  be  inferred, 
that  we  reject  a  succession. 

A  successor  to  another,  is  one  who  occupies  his  office 
and  performs  its  duties.  In  their  extraordinary  duties, 
such  as  implied  miraculous  gifts,  and  such  as  pertained  to 
the  organization  of  the  church  under  the  Christian  dispen- 
sation, the  apostles  could  have  no  successors,  for  such  gifls 
2  A  2  305 


16  THE    EXCLUSIVE    CLAIMS    ^ 

have  been  withdrawn  and  such  duties  are  no  longer  incum- 
bent on  any.  But  those  now  are  their  successors,  in  their 
ordinary  duties,  who  preach,  administer  sacraments  and 
ordain.  Such  power,  presbyters  claim :  and,  as  we  hope 
to  prove,  in  the  proper  place,  on  scriptural  grounds. 
Here  we  are  concerned  to  show,  that  they  are  connected 
by  successive  ordinations  with  the  apostles. 

Ordination  is  not  a  sacrament.  It  is  neither  a  sign  nor 
a  seal  of  imparted  grace.  It  is  not  then,  necessary,  in 
tracing  a  succession,  to  find  the  minute  conformity  to  ca- 
nonical requisitions,  the  want  of  which,  on  prelatical  prin- 
ciples, perplexes  their  investigations.  We  can  satisfac- 
torily show,  that  up  to  the  period  of  the  reformation,  our 
ministers  have  been  set  apart  by  ministers,  and  that  the 
reformers  to  whom  we  trace  this  succession,  had  also  been 
set  apart.  It  is  admitted  on  all  sides,  that  the  orders  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  church  were  valid.  Her  presbyters  be- 
came Protestants  and  thus  Presbyterian  ordination,  (and 
we  ask  for  no  more,)  has  been  transmitted.  But  as  we 
shall  show,  ordination  is  a  declarative  act.  It  is  setting 
apart  men  who  profess  to  have  received  a  call  from  God. 
Now,  if  in  extraordinary  cases,  men  thus  professing,  and 
by  their  doctrine,  (which  is  the  scriptural  criterion  accord- 
ing to  Paul  and  John,  after  Christ's  example,)  evincing  the 
truth  of  such  professions,  challenge  our  confidence,  we 
could  not  withhold  it.  Such  is  our  confidence  in  the  doc- 
trinal succession,  that  we  have  no  more  doubt  that  the 
reformers  were  providentially  called  to  reform,  than  that 
the  apostles  were  miraculously  called  to  organize,  the 
church.  If  any  ask,  who  in  such  cases  are  to  judge?  We 
answer,  the  people  of  God,  using  his  word  as  a  guide ;  and 
we  are  prepared  to  show,  that  any  other  theory,  involves 
either  a  belief  that  ordination  imparts  grace,  or  that  infalli- 
bility is  lodged  somewhere  on  earth.  But  with  these  views 
we  still  maintain,  that  in  ordinary  cases,  the  ministry  is 
continued  by  ministers,  and  that  the  scriptural  form  for  ex- 
pressing a  public  recognition  of  existing  qualifications  is 
important.  Jn  the  cases  supposed,  it  would  be  competent 
to  those  recognizing  such  claims,  to  use  such  a  form  of 
recognition,  since  God's  providence  would  then  appear  to 
point  out  extraordinary  methods,  as  he  used  an  extraordi- 
nary method,  by  miraculous  intervention,  in  conferring  the 
Holy  Ghost  on  Paul,  by  the  hands  of  a  disciple,  and  not 
by  those  of  the  apostles. 

VI.  We  proceed  to  discuss  the  main  proposition,  in  op- 
306 


OF    PRELACY.  17 

position  to  which,  we  say, — ^There  was  but  one  divinely- 
constituted  order  of  the  Christian  ministry,  and  to  that  was 
committed  by  Christ,  all  the  rights  and  privileges  neces- 
sary to  the  proper  government  and  perpetuation  of  the 
church. 

1.  Our  Saviour,  during  his  personal  ministry,  appointed 
but  one  order. 

(1.)  He  chose  twelve  disciples.  Matt.  x.  These  he  sent 
forth,  and  hence  their  name  apostles,  from  the  Greek, 
apostolos.  But  it  is  said  of  the  seventy,  whom  he  ap- 
pointed, after  recounting  (Luke  ix.)  the  appointment  of  the 
twelve,  "  he  appointed  other  seventy  also  whom  he  sent 
forth,"  apestcileii,  (Luke  x.  1.)  the  same  Greek  word,  as 
in  Matt.  x.  5.  Now  although  the  word  apostle  was  after- 
wards appropriated  to  denote  the  twelve,  in  a  pre-eminent 
sense,  here  the  seventy  might  be  called  apostles.  Indeed, 
after  this  period,  the  apostles  are  sometimes  called  disci- 
ples. They  do  not  appear  then  to  have  ditfered  in  name. 
Nor  did  the  Saviour  indicate  any  difference,  in  the  tenor 
of  their  commissions,  touching  any  duties,  pertaining  to  a 
permanent  ministry.  Both  preached,  and  in  John  iv.  2.  it 
is  said  the  "  disciples  baptized"  and  there  is  nothing  re- 
stricting the  application  of  the  word  to  apostles.  Hooker 
says  of  the  seventy,  "  Their  commission  to  preach  and  bap- 
tize was  the  same  which  the  apostles  had."  Our  Saviour 
expressly  forbade  all  distinctions  of  rank  among  his  fol- 
lowers. He  referred  them  to  the  "  rulers  of  the  Gentiles 
who  exercised  lordship  over  them  and  added,  but  it  shall 
not  be  so  among  you." 

(2.)  The  commission  to  preach  and  baptize  was  renewed 
when  he  was  about  ascending  to  heaven,  and  a  promise 
added,  "  Lo  !  I  am  with  you  always  to  the  end  of  the 
world."  By  this.  He  intimated  the  perpetuity  of  the  min- 
istry. Prelatists  appropriate  this  promise  to  their  order. 
But  it  was  made  to  those  who  were  authorized  to  "  preach 
and  baptize."  In  neither  commission,  do  we  find  one  word 
about  ordination  or  a  superior  order.  In  John  xx.  22,  we 
have,  as  supposed,  another  part  of  this  commission,  But 
these  words  were  not  spoken  at  the  same  time,  for  it  ap- 
pears "  Thomas  was  not  with  them,"  and  the  events  con- 
nected, preceded  the  ascension.  The  words  here  recorded 
are,  "  he  breathed  on  them  and  saith  unto  them  receive  ye 
the  Holy  Ghost,  whosoever  sins  ye  remit  they  are  remitted, 
&c."  We  have  not  time  to  settle  accurately  the  meaning 
of  this  passage:  but  may  observe;  (1.)  "  It  was  not  the 
2  *  307 


18  THE    EXCLUSIVE    CLAIMS 

promised  effusion  of  the  Spirit,  for  Jesus  was  not  yet  glori- 
fied." John  vii.  39.  (2.)  In  any  sense  these  words  indi- 
cate the  gift  of  the  same  power  to  disciples  as  apostles, 
some  of  the  latter  having  been  present.  (3.)  These  and 
the  words  Matt,  xviii.  18,  evidently  indicate  that  miracu- 
lous endowment  of  inspired  men,  which  enabled  them 
authoritatively  to  declare  the  truth.  (4.)  And  was  prob- 
ably spoken  somewhat  prophetically  of  the  promise,  yet  to 
be  fulfilled.  Acts  i.  8. 

2.  The  history  and  writings  of  the  apostles,  connected 
with  the  organization  of  the  Christian  church,  evince  the 
existence  of  only  one  order  of  the  ministry. 

(1.)  Before  proceeding  to  sustain  this  division  of  the 
general  proposition,  by  direct  proofs,  it  is  proper  to  discuss 
the  nature  of  the  apostolic  office,  with  reference  to  the  oft- 
repeated  assertion,  "The  apostles  only  might  ordain," 
which  is  tantamount  to  another  form  of  boldness,  "  this 
power  to  ordain  was  peculiar  to  their  office  and  transmitted 
to  their  successors." 

We  have  already  seen  the  origin  of  their  name.  They 
were  sent  forth  during  our  Saviour's  life,  in  common  with 
other  disciples  :  now  they  were  sent  forth  by  a  special  com- 
mission to  them.  After  speaking  of  his  sufferings  and  re- 
surrection Jesus  says,  "  Ye  are  witnesses  of  these  things." 
— See  Luke  xxiv.  48  ;  in  Acts  i.  8,  he  repeats  these  words 
substantially,  restricting  the  address  to  "  the  apostles  whom 
he  had  chosen."  Peter  confirms  this  view  by  telling  us  it 
was  necessary  that  Judas'  office  should  be  supplied  by  one 
"  to  be  a  witness  with  us,"  ii.  22.  Paul  was  "  chosen  of 
God"  xxii.  14,  15,  "  to  know  his  will  and  to  see  that  just 
one,  and  to  be  a  witness  unto  all  men :"  and  defends  his 
claim  to  the  apostleship  (1  Cor.  ix.  1,  2.)  by,  "  Have  I  not 
seen  the  Lord  Jesus?"  It  is  true  that  he  was  seen  of  five 
hundred,  but  these  were  specially  selected  as  witnesses, 
confirming  by  signs  and  wonders,  what  they  said  and 
taught.  Here  then  was  an  extraordinary  office,  clearly 
marked,  to  which  none  can  now  succeed,  for  the  duties 
cannot  now  be  performed  :  to  which  none  did  ever  succeed, 
for  those  who  performed  it,  were  "chosen  of  God,"  by 
special  revelation.  To  perform  this  office,  the  apostles 
were  clothed  with  miraculous  powers,  (Heb.  ii.  4 ;)  among 
others,  was  that  of  communicating  the  Holy  Ghost. — Acts 
ix.  17.  It  is  true  Ananias  laid  his  hands  on  Paul,  and 
announced  that  he  was  sent,  that  "  he  might  receive  "his 
sight  and  be  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost."  But  it  is  evi- 
308 


OF    PRELACY.  19 

dent  that  he  acted  under  a  special,  and  not  as  the  apostles, 
under  a  general  commission.  Whether,  however,  the  gift 
was  restricted  to  the  apostles  or  not,  it  was  a  peculiarity  of 
inspired  men,  and  not  an  office  to  be  transmitted,  or  a  quali- 
fication pertaining  to  the  ordinary  and  permanent  ministry. 
There  is  no  evidence  that  the  apostles  conferred  the  Holy 
Ghost,  as  part  of  their  ordaining  act,  and  if  they  did,  no 
others  than  inspired  men  could  or  can  do  so.  The  form 
of  ordering  priests,  and  that  "  of  ordaining  bishops"  has, 
however,  put  into  the  mouth  of  the  presiding  bishop  the 
words,  "  Receive  the  Holy  Ghost,"  language  which  is 
either  unmeaning  or  presumptuous,  unless  they  who  use  it 
can  show  the  "  signs  of  apostles." 

The  apostles  were  also  invested,  by  inspiration,  with 
authority  to  establish  church  polity,  and  superintend  the 
churches,  in  all  matters  needing  inspired  direction,  the 
scriptures  being  then  incomplete,  while  in  other  matters, 
they  claimed  no  exclusive  jurisdiction,  and  clearly  recog- 
nized the  authority  of  the  ordinary  ministers.  With  these 
too,  they  shared  in  the  ordinary  duties  of  preaching,  dis- 
pensing sacraments,  and  ordaining.  But  not  one  word  can 
be  found,  to  show,  that  they  alone  were  authorized  to  or- 
dain. The  word  apostle  is  sometimes  used  in  its  literal 
signification,  one  sent,  a  messenger,  or  missionary.  Thus 
of  Epaphroditus,  Phil.  ii.  25,  and  of  Titus  and  others,  2 
Cor.  viii.  23.  So  we  understand  Barnabas  and  Paul,  who 
are  called  apostles,  Acts  xiv.  14,  were  the  messengers  or 
missionaries,  in  allusion  to  their  special  mission  recorded, 
Acts  xiii.  1 — 3.  Barnabas  is  never  afterwards,  though 
often  m.entioned,  called  an  apostle.  Paul's  claims  rest  on 
other  grounds.  Indeed  such  was  the  importance  of  the 
apostolic  office,  that  we  have  special  accounts  of  the  call  of 
Paul  and  Matthias,  and  the  former  frequently  urges  the 
evidence  of  his  apostleship.  The  mere  use  of  a  title,  which 
may  mean  nothing  more  than  messenger  or  missionary, 
for  some  special  purpose,  cannot,  under  such  circum- 
stances, justify  the  interpretation  sometimes  claimed  for 
the  case  of  Barnabas.  As  to  certain,  who  are  said  to  be 
apostles,  because  we  read  they  "  were  of  note  among  the 
apostles,"  it  is  enough  to  observe  that  a  man  may  be  "  of 
note"  among  kings,  or  judges,  or  senators,  without  being 
therefore  a  king,  judge  or  senator. 

(2.)  Our  proposition  is  sustained  by  considering  the 
names  or  titles  of  church  officers,  mentioned  in  the  Acts 
and  Epistles. 

309 


20  THE    EXCLUSIVE    CLxVlMS 

(a.)  One  of  these,  deacon,  deserves  a  special  notice, 
giving  name  as  it  does,  to  the  "  third  order"  of  the  prelatic 
scheme.  The  appointment  of  deacons  is  recorded,  Acts 
vi.  3 — 7,  from  which  it  appears,  they  were  chosen  and  set 
over  a  certain  business,  that  the  apostles  might  give  them- 
selves to  praj^er  and  the  ministry  of  the  word.  Now  this 
"  business"  is  called  "  serving  tables  ;"  and  comparing  the 
Greek  word,  translated  "  tables"  with  that  for  "  exchanger," 
(Matt.  XXV.  27,)  and  for  "bank,"  (Luke  xix.  23)  this 
phrase  means,  attending  to  pecuniary  concerns.  This 
view  is  sustained  by  the  preceding  context.  Paul  describes 
the  qualifications  of  a  deacon,  (1  Tim.  iii.  8 — 13,)  but  does 
not  mention  one,  from  which  we  might  infer  that  he  was  a 
spiritual  officer.  Stephen,  "  one  of  the  seven,"  confounded 
his  accusers  in  argument,  and  Philip,  another  of  "  the 
seven,"  afterwards  became  an  Evangelist.  But,  in  the 
face  of  the  account  above  given,  these  cases  cannot  be 
cited  to  prove,  that  either  was  then  engaged  in  the  peculiar 
duties  of  the  office  of  deacon.  We  dismiss  the  subject  with 
these  remarks,  sufficient  to  show,  that  this  title  has  no 
claim,  in  its  restricted  use,  to  denote  a  spiritual  officer. 

(b.)  The  titles  of  spiritual  officers,  besides  apostle,  were 
minister,  evangelist,  prophet,  pastor,  teacher,  preacher, 
steward,  ambassador,  bishop  and  presbyter.  We  also  read 
of  "  helps  and  governments,"  general  terms,  rather  than 
titles,  indicative  of  officers  known  under  their  appropriate 
titles. 

Of  these,  "  minister"  is  very  general,  and  is  the  transla- 
tion of  the  word  elsewhere  rendered  deacon.  It  means  a 
servant.  The  restricted  sense  in  which  it  is  applied  to  dea- 
con, strengthens  the  view  already  given,  that  the  word 
denotes  a  "  servant  of  the  church,"  not  an  order  of  her 
spiritual  officers.  In  a  general  sense,  "  minister"  was  ap- 
plied indiscriminately  to  any,  whether  apostles,  presbyters, 
prophets,  or  others. 

(c.)  The  remaining  titles,  except  bishop  and  presbyter, 
are,  by  general  consent,  acknowledged  to  be  merely  indica- 
tive of  the  various  ministerial  offices,  suggested  by  the 
usual  meaning  of  the  words  used.  No  one  pretends  that 
they  distinguish  the  order  or  rank  of  such  officers. 

(<i.)  Presbyter  (or  elder,)  presbuteros,  literally  means 
an  old  man.  Such,  in  patriarchal  governments,  were 
rulers,  by  virtue  of  age.  Hence  the  word  was  adopted 
to  denote  rulers  generally,  and  was  so  used  by  the  Jews. 
It  does  not  express  the  functions  of  the  office,  but  the  quali- 
310 


OF    PRELACY.  21 

fications  of  the  officer,  real  or  supposed,  incidental  or  ac- 
quired, the  authority  and  power,  from  which  the  functions 
flow.  It  exactly  answers  to  the  Latin,  senator,  and  the 
English,  alderman,  and  signifies  the  rank  or  order  of  the 
officer. 

(e.)  Bishop,  (episkopos,)  literally  means  overseer,  a  term 
indicating  the  duties  of  the  office.  These  duties  were  the 
instruction  and  government  of  the  people  and  not  of  ministers. 
Hence  no  rank  or  order  of  a  superior  character  could  per- 
tain to  the  bishop,  by  virtue  of  his  relative  position.  It  is 
used  five  times,  (Acts  xx.  28.  Phil.  i.  1.  1  Tim.  iii.  1. 
Titus  ii.  7.  1  Peter  ii.  25,)  in  neither  of  which  is  there  the 
slightest  indication  of  superiority  to  other  officers,  except  1 
Pet.  ii.  25,  where  it  is  applied  to  Christ.  As  a  title,  it  may 
rank  with  pastor,  teacher,  and  others  indicative  of  the  func- 
tions of  the  officer  and  not  the  order. 

These  titles  then,  of  themselves,  indicate  no  distinction 
of  order,  as  they  are,  by  prelatists,  now  employed  to  indi- 
cate. On  the  contrary,  presbyter  is  the  only  title,  expres- 
sive of  rank  or  order,  by  its  derivation,  while  bishop,  like 
other  titbs  mentioned,  is,  by  derivation,  expressive  of  the 
duties  of  the  officer.  The  history  of  the  apostolic  church 
corroborates  this  view.  Presbyter  is  the  only  title  applied 
to  those  who  were  ordained.  We  read  of  ordaining  pres- 
byters, (or  elders,)  but  never  of  ordaining  bishops,  pastors 
or  ministers. 

(/)  The  existence  of  only  one  order  is  established  as  a 
fact,  by  the  application  of  the  title  indicative  of  order,  and 
that  indicative  of  the  duties  of  office,  to  the  same  person. 
Paul,  (Acts  XX.  17,)  calls  the  "  elders  (presbyters)  of  tiie 
church"  and,  in  ver.  28,  addresses  them  as  "  overseers,"  or 
bishops.  In  Titus,  (i.  5 — 7,)  he  directs  Titus  "  to  ordain 
elders,"  (presbyters,)  and  proceeds  to  give  their  character 
by  saying,  "  for  a  bishop,"  &c.  The  Syriac  translator  of 
the  New  Testament,  before  a.  d.  150,  renders  the  Greek 
word  for  bishop  (Titus  i.  7.  Phil.  i.  1,)  by  a  word  meaning 
presbyter,  and  that  for  "  office  of  a  bishop"  (1  Tim.  iii.  1,) 
by  "  office  of  a  presbyter,"  proving,  as  Burnet  observes, 
that  these  terms  were  used  promiscuously  by  writers  of  the 
first  two  centuries.  Bishop  Marsh  alluding  to  the  Syriac 
translator,  says,  "  he  understood  the  original  [Greek]  and 
made  the  proper  distinction  between  the  language  of  the 
primitive  and  that  of  the  hierarchal  church."  We  prefer 
the  language  of  the  primitive.  This  application  of  these 
terms,  presbyter  and  bishop,  is  illustrated  by  our  use  of  the 

3U 


22  THE    EXCLUSIVE    CLAIMS 

terms,  magistrate  and  justice  of  the  peace,  when  applied  to 
the  same  person,  or  of  senator  and  legislator ;  indicating 
the  rank  of  the  officer,  by  one,  and  the  duties  by  the  other. 
So  clearly  do  these  views  establish  the  parity  of  bishop  and 
presbyter,  that  prelatists  have  been  forced  to  acknowledge, 
in  the  words  of  Dr.  Onderdonk,  that  "  all  we  read  in  the 
New  Testament  concerning  bishops  is  to  be  understood  of 
that  middle  grade,"  (i,  e.  presbyters.) 

(g.)  The  existence  of  only  one  order,  and  that  the  order 
of  presbyters  is  deducible  from  the  fact,  that  the  apostles 
(1  Pet.  V.  1.  2  John  1.  3  John  1.)  call  themselves  presbyters. 
In  respect  of  their  extraordinary  duties,  as  already  seen, 
they  were  apostles,  sent  forth  on  a  special  mission,  but  as 
part  of  an  ordinary  ministry,  they  were  presbyters.  No 
apostle  ever  calls  himself  bishop.  Peter  (Acts  i.  20,)  calls 
the  apostolic  office  a  bishopric  or  "  office  of  a  bishop."  By 
reference  to  the  passage  quoted,  (Psa.  cix.  8,)  we  find  the 
word  so  translated,  to  be  one  of  extensive  application,  de- 
noting any  office  whatever.  But  in  the  restricted  sense, 
here  allowed,  the  passage  in  Acts  i.  20,  supposing  it  to 
prove  the  identity  of  the  apostolic  and  episcopal  offices, 
which  it  does  not,  would  not  establish  a  separate  order  for 
either,  nor  in  the  least  affect  the  argument,  already  made, 
for  presbyterial  order. 

Presbyter,  then,  is  the  only  title  expressive  of  order,  by 
its  derivation.  It  is  the  only  title  applied  to  those  who 
were  ordained.  Presbyters  were  bishops  and  bishops  no 
more  than  presbyters.  There  is  and  can  be  but  one  order, 
deduced  from  examining  the  ministerial  titles  occurring  in 
the  Acts  and  Epistles.  But  we  are  told,  this  is  all  verbal 
sophistry :  we  "  seek  in  scripture  for  the  sacred  offices, 
independently  of  the  names  given  them."  And  then  is 
repeated  the  assertion,  that  the  apostles  appointed  certain 
persons  their  successors,  who  alone  could  ordain,  and  these 
persons  were  called, — some  say,  apostles,  some  bishops,, 
and  some  designate  their  office  as  "  the  episcopal  office  :" 
but  all  unite,  in  denying  ordaining  power  to  presbyters  and 
restricting  it  to  this  "  other  order." 

(3.)  We  then  proceed  to  show  that,  pi'csbyters  perform- 
ed all  the  offices,  performed  by  apostles,  those  excepted, 
which  involved  the  possession  of  supernatural  powers.  It 
being  conceded  that  presbyters  preached  and  dispensed 
sacraments,  it  remains  for  us  to  show  that  they  governed 
the  church  and  ordained. 

(a.)  That  they  were  governors  of  the  church  is  proved 
312 


OF    PRELACY.  23 

by  1  Tim.  v.  17.  "Let  the  elders  (presbyters)  that  rule 
well,  &c."  By  Paul  (Acts  xx.  28,)  and  Peter  (1  Pet.  v. 
2,)  they  are  exhorted  "  to  feed  the  flock."  "  Feed"  is  the 
translation  of  a  Greek  word,  derived  from  pastoral  life, 
denoting,  in  that  primary  use  the  whole  duty  of  a  shepherd, 
both  governing  and  feeding  the  flock.  That  it  here  has 
the  similar  meaning  of  governing  and  instructing  the  peo- 
ple, is  evident,  because  in  both  addresses,  the  presbyters 
are  reminded  of  their  duty  as  overseers  or  inspectors. 
Pastor  is  a  name  derived  from  a  similar  source,  with  a 
similar  allusion,  and  expressive  of  the  duty  of  governing  ; 
and  pastors  are  distinguished  from  apostles  in  the  enumera- 
tion of  officers,  Eph.  iv.  11,  given  "for  the  perfecting  of 
the  saints." 

In  Acts  XV.  23.  presbyters  are  expressly  associated  with  the 
apostles  in  the  most  important  act  of  government  recorded 
in  the  history  of  the  primitive  church. 

(b.)  Presbyters  ordained.  The  scriptural  argument  is 
pointed  and  brief.  Before  presenting  it,  however,  we  offer 
a  few  remarks  on  the  general  subject. 

(1.)  Ordination  is  not  a  sacrament.  There  is,  then,  no 
consistency  in  denying  to  presbyters,  who  may  dispense 
sacraments,  the  power  to  perform  a  rite.  The  deep-seated 
impression  that  ordination  conveys  grace,  or,  in  some 
mysterious  manner,  confers  some  kind  of  virtue,  or  cha- 
racter, has  been  derived  from  the  papal  view  of  its  sacra- 
mental nature,  and  the  papal  faith  in  the  intrinsic  efficacy 
of  sacraments. 

(2.)  Ordination  is  then,  either  an  act  of  government  or 
it  pertains  to  the  office  of  preaching,  inasmuch  as  the 
ordaining  person  is,  in  the  act  of  ordination,  engaged  in 
fulfilling  the  great  commission.  In  either  case,  authority 
to  ordain  devolves  on  presbyters. 

(3.)  To  the  same  conclusion  we  are  led,  by  examining 
the  meaning  of  the  word  "  ordain,"  and  the  form  of  ordi- 
nation. "  Ordain"  occurs  five  times  in  an  ecclesiastical 
sense,  and  in  each  instance,  represents  a  different  Greek 
word,  meaning  literally,  (Mark  iii.  14,)  "to  make,"  ^Acts 
i.  22,)  "  to  be,"  (Acts  xiv.  23,)  "  to  extend  the  hands,^'  (or 
to  elect,)  (1  Tim.  ii.  7,)  "  to  place,"  (Titus  i.  7,)  "  to  ap- 
point," neither  of  which  can  be  tortured  into  any  thing 
more  significant,  than  "  to  set  apart"  or  "  appoint"  or 
"  place  in  office."  Now  were  this  service  a  rite,  not  to 
say  a  sacrament,  we  would,  from  scripture  usage,  expect 
2B  313 


24  THE    EXCLUSIVE    CLAIMS 

to  find  some  word  uniformly  used,  appropriate  and  ex- 
pressive. 

In  neither  of  these  cases  is  the  form  of  ordination  alluded 
to,  and  it  cannot  be  proved  that  the  Saviour  used  any  form 
(unless  "  breathing  on  them"  be  so  construed,)  in  ordain- 
ing the  apostles,  and  we  might  here  raise  a  question,  on  the 
divine  authority  for  any  uniform  mode  of  ordination,  not 
easily  settled.  But  since,  in  at  least  one  case,  "  laying  on 
hands"  seems  to  be  clearly  recognized  as  the  form,  we  pro- 
ceed to  discuss  its  meaning.  Let  it  be  remembered,  that 
prelatists  claim  to  "  impress  character"  in  ordination.  We 
consider  the  "  form"  scriptural,  and  always  worthy  of  ob- 
servance. "  Laying  on  hands"  was  used  in  pronouncing 
benedictions,  conferring  the  miraculous  gifts  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  performing  miraculous  cures,  and  investing  men 
with  office.  It  is,  of  course,  with  the  latter  alone  we  are 
concerned,  since  prelatists  do  not  yet  assume  to  impart 
miraculous  gifts  or  work  miraculous  cures.  In  Num. 
xxvii.  15 — 23,  we  learn  that  God  specially  designated 
Joshua  as  the  successor  of  Moses,  because  "  the  Spirit" 
was  in  him,  and  then  adds, "  and  lay  thy  hand  upon  him." 
In  Acts  vi.  2 — 6,  the  brethren  chose  seven  men  "  full  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  and  wisdom"  and  "  set  them  before  the 
apostles,  who  prayed  and  laid  their  hands  on  them."  In 
both  these  cases,  the  qualification  for  office  clearly  existed, 
before  the  form  of  investiture  was  used.  The  form  then 
could  not  be  used  to  communicate  mysteriously,  what 
already  existed,  but  was  a  public  recognition,  declarative 
not  impressive  of  authority  already  conferred  by  God. 
We  might  examine  the  connexion  of  this,  with  the  other 
uses  .of  this  form,  showing  that  in  all,  the  possession  of 
something  is  declared.  In  other  uses,  inspired  men  not 
only  declared  but  communicated.  In  ordination,  uninspir- 
ed men  can  only  declare  their  belief,  that  the  person  or- 
dained, possesses  what  he  professes,  and  what  God  imparts, 
in  the  ordinary  operation  of  his  Spirit,  through  the  ordinary 
means,  as  qualifications  for  the  ministry. 

Paul  sustains  this  view,  by  describing  to  Titus  the  quali- 
fications necessary  for  those  who  might  fill  the  office  of 
presbyter ;  and  by  admonishing  Timothy,  not  to  "  lay 
hands  suddenly  on  any  man,"  he  intimates,  that  he  must 
find  them  first  possessed  of  the  proper  character  and  not 
expect  to  impart  it.  Indeed,  with  the  scriptures  before  us, 
we  cannot  believe  otherwise,  than  that  hoth  character  or 
fitness  for  the  office,  and  authority,  are  the  call  of  God  ; 
314 


OF    PRELACY.  25 

providentially  but  no  less  really  made,  than  was  that  of 
Aaron.  The  work  of  man  is  merely  declarative.  Is  it 
said,  we  are  liable  to  err,  to  be  deceived  ?  So  we  are  on 
any  scheme ;  more  so,  when  the  ordaining  power  is  vested 
in  one  man,  removed  perhaps,  far  from  a  candidate  whom 
he  has  never  seen  till  he  comes  for  orders,  than  when  it 
rests  with  several,  some  personally  and  intimately  ac- 
quainted with  him.  Since  nothing  is  imparted  by  "  the 
laying  on  of  hands"  nor  so  implied  in  the  use  of  the  word, 
expressive  of  ordination,  we  see  no  reason,  why  those 
trained  to  the  ministry  may  not  admit  others  to  their  own 
rank  and  office.  But  whatever  confidence  we  may  have 
in  the  deductions  of  our  reason,  we  rely  ultimately  on 
scripture  and  that  only.  In  1  Tim.  iv.  14,  the  apostle 
says,  "  Neglect  not  the  gift  which  is  in  thee" — or  your 
gift — "  which  was  given  thee  by  prophecy,  with  the  laying 
on  of  the  hands  of  the  presbytery."  Apart  from  all  con- 
troversy, here  is  a  clear  case  of  presbyterian  ordination. 
Could  but  one  such  case  be  found  for  prelacy,  or  were  the 
word  bishop  here  instead  of  presbytery,  with  what  indigna- 
tion, would  our  expression  of  the  slightest  doubt  be  received, 
and  with  what  terrific  denunciations,  or  charitable  consign- 
ments to  "  uncovenanted  mercies,"  would  our  temerity  be 
rewarded !  Yet,  as  it  is,  the  passage  has  been  made  the 
subject  of  all  manner  of  doubts  from  the  suggestion  that 
"  presbytery"  means  the  office  of  presbyter,  based  on  a 
retracted  opinion  of  Calvin's  youth,  to  the  assertion,  that 
the  passage  does  not  refer  to  ordination  at  all !  For  state- 
ments and  refutations  we  must  refer  you  to  more  minute 
investigations.  We  have  no  difficulties  in  so  plain  a  case. 
It  may  be  proper  to  reconcile  with  this,  2  Tim.  i.  6, 
"  Stir  up  the  gift  of  God,  which  is  in  thee,  by  the  putting 
on  of  my  hands."  Timothy  was  pointed  out  by  inspired 
men — "  by  prophecy" — to  be  called  and  qualified  for  the 
ministry.  For  the  speedy  propagation  of  the  gospel,  and 
to  supply  the  want  of  a  complete  revelation,  men  were  fre- 
quently clothed  with  necessary  qualifications  in  a  miracu- 
lous manner.  The  mode  of  imparting  such  was  by  apos- 
tolic intervention.  To  this  then  Paul  probably  alludes  in 
the  latter  text.  He  here  says  the  gift  was  by  him.  In 
the  former  its  extraordinary  origin  was  indicated  by  the 
words  "  by  prophecy."  To  the  fact  of  Timothy's  posses- 
sing the  proper  qualifications  the  presbytery  attested.  No 
prelatic  view  of  the  subject  can  be  consistent  jvith  their 
principles.     If  the  two  passages  teach  one  ordination,  then 

3  315 


26  THE    EXCLUSIVE    CLAIMS 

was  Timothy  a  prelate  by  presbyterian  ordination,  which 
IS  vastly  uncanonical,  though  some  Scotch  and  English 
prelates  have  been  so  miserable.  If  two  ordinations  are 
supposed,  then  Timothy  was  made  a  presbyter  by  presby- 
ters, and  this  is  equally  monstrum  horrendum ! — un- 
available. It  is  altogether  a  very  hard  case  for  prelatists, 
and  very  clear  for  presbytery. 

If  Timothy  was  a  presbyter,  then  of  course,  as  a  presby- 
ter he  might  lay  hands  on  others,  (1  Tim.  v.  22,)  and 
although  we  have  no  account  of  the  ordination  of  Titus, 
yet  since  he  is  directed  to  perform  the  same  duty,  we  are 
at  liberty  to  suppose  it  was  in  the  same  character. 

In  Acts  xiii.  1 — 3,  we  have  an  account,  which  in  all  its 
circumstances  appears  to  have  been  a  case  of  ordination. 
It  represents  three  men,  by  prayer  and  fasting,  with  lay- 
ing on  hands,  setting  apart  two  others,  of  whose  existing 
qualifications  and  special  call,  the  Holy  Ghost  gave  evi- 
dence. Some  thirty  or  more.  Episcopalians,  Presbyterians 
and  others,  contend  that  this  was  clearly  a  case  of  ordina- 
tion. It  serves  our  purpose,  whether  it  be  so  regarded  or 
not.  These  men,  Saul  and  Barnabas,  were  publicly  recog- 
nized or  set  apart  by  prophets  and  teachers.  It  does  not 
fully  comport  with  modern  ideas  of  ordination  ;  for  the 
grade  of  the  five  was  the  same,  for  all  that  we  know,  since 
"  prophets  and  teachers''  is  applied  to  all.  But  as  a  case 
of  the  exercise  of  a  very  similar  power,  it  may  be  taken  to 
strengthen  our  position,  otherwise  conclusively  established, 
that  presbyters  ordained. 

VII.  We  close  this  discussion  with  a  brief  notice  of  some 
positions  taken  by  prelatists,  not  properly  falling  within 
the  scope  of  our  previous  remarks. 

1.  "That  Timothy,  in  Ephesus,  and  Titus,  in  Crete, 
alone  had  power  to  ordain ;"  in  proof  of  which,  several 
unquoted  texts  are  referred  to ;  as  1  Tim,  v.  22.  2  Tim.  ii. 
2.  Titus  i.  5.  This  is  a  very  common  method  of  proving 
their  positions.  The  texts  cited  certainly  prove  a  part  of 
the  claim,  viz  :  that  Timothy  and  Titus  had  power  to  or- 
dain :  and  this  is  cheerfully  admitted.  But  that  they  alone 
had  this  power,  which  is  the  material  part  of  the  position, 
is  not  so  much  as  inferable  from  these  texts. 

2.  That  Timothy  was  ordained  bishop  of  Ephesus,  or 
that  he  was  an  apostle  as  some  contend.  The  end  of  each 
claim,  is  to  ascribe  his  ordaining  power,  to  his  apostolic  or 
diocesan-episcopal,  and  not  his  presbyterial  order.  To 
prove  his  episcopal  order,  we  have  the  admitted  fact  of  his 

316 


OF    PRELACY.  27 

ordination,  and  1  Tim.  i.  3,  "  I  besought  thee  to  abide  at 
Ephesus,"  and,  (by  some,)  the  subscription  at  the  close  of 
the  last  chapter  of  the  second  epistle.  But  the  assumption 
of  episcopal  ordination  is  disproved  by  the  argument 
already  offered  showing  he  was  ordained  a  presbyter  and 
no  more.  It  cannot  be  proved,  that  he  was  ever  in  Ephe- 
sus, more  than  once.  When  Paul  was  called  into  Mace- 
donia, he  left  Timothy  in  Ephesus  for  a  short  time,  since 
we  find  he  joined  Paul  before  his  return  to  Asia,  Acts  xx. 
1 — 4.  Paul  went  over  Macedonia  and  was  three  months 
in  Greece,  during  which  time  or  before,  Timothy  came  to 
him.  After  this,  Acts  xx.  17 — 28,  Paul  charges  the  Ephe- 
sian  elders,  and  does  not  once  allude  to  this,  their  superior 
bishop.  Timothy  otherwise  appears  to  have  been  his  con- 
stant travelling  companion.  He  is  not  mentioned  nor 
alluded  to,  in  the  epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  but  in  those  to 
the  Philippians,  (ii.  19.)  1  Cor.  (iv.  17,)  and  1  Thess.  (iii. 
2,)  Paul  speaks  of  sending  him  to  those  churches,  and 
after  all,  he  may  as  well  be  called  bishop  of  either  of  them, 
as  of  Ephesus.  Paul  calls  him,  "  brother,"  "  minister," 
"  fellow-labourer,"  but  never  "  bishop  of  Ephesus  :"  speaks 
of  his  release  from  imprisonment  (Heb.  xiii.  23,)  but  never 
of  his  diocese.  As  to  the  subscriptions,  no  well  informed 
scholar  assigns  them  any  inspired  authority.  They  were 
appended,  no  one  knows  when,  where,  or  by  whom. 

"But  he  was  an  apostle,  for  Paul  (1  Thess.  i.  1,)  joins 

him  in  the  salutation,  and  then  ii.  6,  says  *  we as 

apostles  of  Christ.' "  Granting  this  will  not  invest 
Timothy  with  more  than  presbyterial  order,  nor  fix  him  in 
Ephesus.  But  the  whole  weight  of  proof  rests  in  the  use 
of  the  plural  personal  pronoun.  Now  (1.)  Paul  uses  this 
for  him.self  in  some  cases;  (see  1  Thess.  iii.  4,  5.)  (2.) 
And  in  ii.  2,  says,  "  We  were  shamefully  treated  at  Philip- 
pi,"  when  (Acts  xvi.  10 — 24,)  it  appears  Timothy  was  not 
with  him.  (3.)  He  (iii.  6,)  says,  "  Timothy  came  from 
you  to  us."  If  "  us'  here  includes  Timothy,  then  may 
"  we"  (ii.  6,)  also  include  him. 

That  Timothy  ma^  have  been  invested  with  extraordi- 
nary power  as  an  "  evangelist,"  (2  Tim.  iv.  5,)  we  have 
no  doubt,  and  that  he  was  the  chief  or  president  of  the 
presbytery  in  Ephesus  is  possible,  but  no  scriptural  au- 
thority can  be  found  to  prove,  that  he  was  either  an  apostle, 
or  bishop  (diocesan)  of  Ephesus. 

3.  "  That  the  ano;els  mentioned  Rev.  ii.  iii.  were  dioce- 
san bishops."  1.  They  may  have  been  parochial  bishops, 
2b2  317 


28  THE    EXCLUSIVE    CLAIMS 

if  the  word  "  angel"  indicates  a  person.  We  have  no  evi- 
dence that  the  word  church  was  used  in  a  collective  sense, 
for  in  the  New  Testament  it  is  never,  elsewhere,  so  used, 
with  an  adjunct  of  locality.  The  "angel  of  the  church  of 
Ephesus,"  &c.  was  then  in  this  view,  the  pastor.  2.  If  it 
be  said,  that  in  such  large  cities  the  pastoral  care  was  too 
great  for  one  man,  it  must  be  proved  that  there  were  seve- 
ral churches  organized  in  cities.  We  do  not  know  what 
was  the  precise  mode  of  organizing  and  governing  churches, 
but  supposing  the  difficulty  relevant,  it  may  be  removed  on 
the  supposition,  that  for  each  city,  there  were  collegiate 
pastors  ;  to  the  senior  of  whom  pertained  the  chief  place. 
But  this  implies  no  distinction  of  order  or  any  authority 
over  the  rest.  (3.)  If  the  collective  sense  of  "church"  be 
granted,  then  we  see  not  why  the  idea  of  Stillingfleet  and 
others  may  not  be  adopted  ;  that  "  angel"  is  symbolical  of 
the  clergy  as  a  body.  Especially  is  this  idea  worthy  of 
attention,  since  in  the  addresses,  no  allusion  is  made  to 
the  "  interior  clergy."  (4.)  It  may  deserve  consideration 
whether  the  word  "  angel"  or  "  messenger"  is  not  suscep- 
tible of  literal  interpretation.  The  churches  may  have  sent 
to  John,  the  last  surviving  apostle,  perhaps  at  his  request, 
to  receive  his  parting  admonitions,  and  he,  by  divine  di- 
rection, addressed  these  epistles  to  the  representative  or 
"  messenger"  of  each  church,  and  recorded  them  for  the 
perm.anent  use  of  the  church  to  which  they  were  really 
addressed  through  the  messenger.  This  is  merely  offered 
as  a  novel  mode  of  explaining  what  even  prelatists  have 
not  yet  settled  to  their  satisfaction.  We  profess  not  how- 
ever to  speak  "  ex  cathedra!''' 

VIII.  We  here  close  this  discussion  of  scriptural  testi- 
mony on  the  points  involved  in  the  proposition  combated 
and  that  sustained.  The  testimony  of  ancient  writers  to 
facts,  of  which  they  were  personally  cognizant,  when 
clearly  ascertained,  is  certainly  valuable.  We  do  not  fear 
it.  Prelatists  have  challenged  us  from  the  days  of  Hooker 
to  the  present,  to  "  show  one  church  not  ordered  by  epis- 
copal regiment,  since  the  times  of  tKe  apostles."  We  are 
prepared  to  show,  that  the  church  of  Alexandria,  those  of 
Gaul,  Britain,  Ireland,  lona,  and  others,  planted  by  the 
Culdees,  of  the  Waldenses,  (so  called,  not  from  Peter 
Waldo,  but  from  locality,)  and  of  the  Paulicians,  were  es- 
sentially Presbyterian,  some  for  a  part,  and  others,  for  the 
whole  period,  covered  in  this  boasted  challenge.  Nay 
more,  we  retort  the  challenge,  and  we  defy  any  man  to 
318 


OF    PRELACY.  29 

show  us  reliable  testimony  for  the  existence  of  a  prelatical 
church,  before  a.  d.  200,  any  where  in  the  whole  world. 
In  the  lists  of  bishops  so  triumphantly  paraded,  a.  d.  100, 
is  the  earliest  assigned  date,  and  the  interval  of  one  or  two 
generations  to  connect  with  the  apostles,  is  filled  with  "  pro- 
bablys"  and  other  indications  of  suppositions.  Nor  can  it 
be  shown,  that  for  150  years  after  this  date,  any  one 
claimed  as  a  bishop  (diocesan)  was  more  than  bishop  pa- 
rochial. Admitting  the  genuineness  of  Ignatius,  his  quoted 
testimony  proves,  what  we  knew  before,  that  bishop,  pres- 
byter, and  deacon,  are  names  of  church  officers,  but  it  does 
not  prove,  they  indicated  separate  orders,  nor  does  he  ever 
intimate  that  such  was  the  fact. 

But  we  are  asked,  "  if  Presbyterian  polity  is  apostolic, 
how  can  you  account  for  such  a  change,  for  the  change  in 
the  use  of  the  term  bishop,  and  the  duties  of  deacon  ]  Does 
not  the  early  and  universal  prevalence  of  Episcopacy  prove 
its  divine  origin  ]"  Will  prelatists  account  for  the  change 
in  the  use  of  the  Latin  word  "  imperator,"  from  its  desig- 
nation of  a  general,  to  that  of  an  emperor  ?  Will  they 
account  for  the  change  in  the  spirit  and  bearing  of  the 
Episcopal  church  in  this  country  as  indicated  by  comparing 
the  venerable  White's  "  case  of  the  Episcopal  church  in 
the  United  States,"  published  in  1786,  and  the  various  ex- 
hibitions of  bishops  Hobart,  Ravenscroft,  Ives,  and  Doane, 
not  to  mention  some  of  the  "  other  clergy"  and  laity  nearer 
home?  An  ancient  writer  once  admonished  bishops  that 
they  were  above  presbyters,  "  more  by  the  custom  of  the 
church,  than  the  true  dispensation  of  Christ."  We  can 
show,  that  the  change  grew  by  little  and  little.  Thus  it 
was  thought  desirable  in  early  times  to  have  a  visible  head, 
or  permanent  moderator  or  president,  more  effectually  to 
crush  error.  From  this,  aided  by  a  gradual  conformity 
of  church  to  state  polity,  by  the  naturally  paramount  in- 
fluence of  metropolitan  churches  and  their  clergy,  by  one 
assumption  after  another,  grew  up  first  the  prelacy  and 
then  the  papacy.  For  if  a  province  needed  a  h'ead,  so  did 
a  state,  and  so  did  the  world.  We  are  sometimes  twitted 
with  the  want  of  a  head.  Where  is  the  head  of  Episco- 
pacy'/ Is  it  the  triennial  convention  of  bishops  and  other 
clergy  and  laity  ?  Ours  is  similar.  In  England,  Queen 
Victoria  is  head  of  the  church.  But  it  was  not  remem- 
bered, that  this  human  expedient  of  one  personal  head, 
might  be  as  efficient  to  suppress  truth  as  error,  of  which 
the  history  of  popes,  of  Henry  VIII.,  Charles  I.,  of  Laud, 
3*  319 


30  THE    EXCLUSIVE    CLAIMS 

and  of  Sharpe,  affords  abundant  evidence.  From  all  such 
heads,  we  say,  in  the  words  of  the  Litany,  "  Good  Lord, 
dehver  us." 

But  we  cannot  follow  prelatists  further  into  this  their  fa- 
vourite field  of  discussion.  While  the  testimony  of  ancient 
writers  to  facts  of  their  personal  knowledge  is  valuable, 
their  traditionary  interpretation  of  scripture  is  not  always 
reliable.  Even,  however,  into  this  department  of  testimony, 
we  might  fearlessly  enter.  But  in  the  bogs,  fens,  and  quag- 
mires of  patristic  lore  "  we  find  no  end,  in  wandering 
mazes  lost.'"  We  have  no  fancy  for  the  miasmatic  vapours 
of  tradition,  while  we  are  permitted  to  breathe  the  pure 
atmosphere,  and  stand  on  the  solid  rock  of  the  mountain  of 
God's  eternal  truth.  Some  of  the  fathers  were  wise  and 
good  men,  and  some,  especially  the  latter,  were  very  much 
addicted  to  nonsense  and  fable ;  some  very  stupid  ;  some 
drugged  with  the  poison  of  heathen  philosophy;  some 
drunk  with  the  adulation  of  the  ignorant ;  and  some  giddy 
with  their  elevation  after  the  downfall  of  heathenism,  and 
the  unnatural  connexion  of  the  church  with  the  state.  No! 
we  will  drink  from  no  stream,  muddied  with  the  polluting 
footsteps  of  man,  while  we  may  imbibe  the  pure  water  of 
that  clear  and  sparkling  fountain,  which  issues  from  the 
hill  of  Zion.  We  will  tread  no  waste  and  howling  wilder- 
ness, traverse  no  scathed  and  barren  desert,  thread  no 
thorny  labyrinth,  and  scale  no  rugged  clifis,  while  we  may 
range  the  verdant  pastures,  and  repose  amidst  the  refresh- 
ing shades,  which  are  watered  by  that  fountain  of  heavenly 
truth.  Our  "  faith  stands  not  in  the  wisdom,"  and  much 
less,  the  folly  "  of  men,  but  in  the  power  of  God." 

IX.  We  add  a  few  reflections,  suggested  by  this  dis- 
cussion. 

1.  We  here  see  the  proper  distinction  between  prelatic 
and  scriptural  exclusion.  The  prelate  teaches,  that  "  re- 
jection of  Episcopacy,  rejects  men  from  God  and  his  salva- 
tion :"  the  scriptures  teach,  that  "  he  that  believeth  not"  in 
Jesus  Christ  "  shall  not  see  life."  The  prelate  divides 
mankind  into  two  great  classes,  those  who  assent  to  the 
institutions  of"  the  church"  and  those  who  wilfully  discard 
them ;  appointing  the  one  to  salvation,  the  other  to  perdi- 
tion. The  scriptures  also  recognize  two  classes,  the  one, 
included  in  God's  covenant  with  his  Son,  the  other  "  fore- 
ordained to  wrath  for  their  sins."  We  may  cavil,  without 
blasphemy,  at  the  doctrines  of  the  prelate ;  we  must  ac- 
quiesce, in  humility,  with  the  instructions  of  God's  revela- 
320 


OF    PRELACY.  31 

tion  ;  adore,  where  we  cannot  understand,  and  repress  each 
rising  doubt  and  discontent  by,  "  Even  so  Father,  for  so  it 
seemed  good  in  thy  sight." 

2.  Their  "  Rock  is  not  as  our  rock,"  says  a  "  tract,"  not 
of  Oxford,  nor  Rome,  nor  Burlington,  but  of  "  the  Episco- 
pal Tract  Society,"  No.  153.  "  The  great  characteristic" 
of  prelacy,  "  is  reverence  for  antiquity."  We  offer  a  con- 
trast, "  The  great  characteristic"  of  Presbyterianisrn  is 
reverence  for  scripture.  Well  may  prelatists  rely  on  the 
fathers.  Some  one  undertook  to  "  test  Episcopacy  by 
scripture"  and  after  conceding  the  scripture  "  bishop"  was 
only  a  "  presbyter,"  accounts  for  the  scriptural  application 
of  the  term  to  diocesan  bishops,  by  saying  "  it  was  after 
the  apostolic  age"  that  this  name  "  was  taken  from  the 
second  and  appropriated  to  the  first  order,  as  we  learn  from 
Theodoret" — and  he  was  a  writer  of  the  fifth  century.  So 
then,  "  testing  by  scripture,"  for  1700  years  and  more, 
"  the  only  true  churches" — the  Episcopal — have  imposed 
on  the  world,  by  their  own  confession,  a  scriptural  name, 
and  with  it,  in  popular  estimation,  scriptural  authority,  for 
an  office  of  human  device  or  at  least  of  such  small  "  note 
among  the  apostles,"  that  they  omitted  to  furnish  it  with  a 
name !  What  has  become  of  the  scriptural  name  for  this 
first  order?  Why  not  continue  it,  as  well  as  the  scriptural 
name  for  the  second?  Is  it  so,  as  Mr.  Keble  says  "the 
scriptures  do  homage  to  tradition?" 

3.  We  thank  God,  on  the  other  hand,  that  the  evidence 
is  so  clear,  that  prelacy  stands  on  tradition,  that  it  hangs 
its  destiny  on  not  one  text  of  his  word,  that  he  has  not 
staked  the  salvation  of  millions  on  the  observance  of  a  rite, 
by  some  apostate  or  drunken  prelate,  some  vicious,  de- 
bauched and  ignorant  priest  of  the  dark  ages.  If  the  whole 
system  falls,  we  are  sustained  by  God's  word.  If  the  ex- 
ternal form  of  the  church  be  wrecked,  we  lay  hold  on  the 
anchor  of  eternal  truth.  We  may  be  excommunicated  by 
Rome,  by  England,  and  "  her  American  daughter,"  we  are 
not,  therefore,  cut  off  from  hope,  aliens  from  the  body,  the 
church  of  Christ.  If  Abraham  be  ignorant  of  us  and  Israel 
acknowledge  us  not,  yet  "  the  Lord  knoweth  them  that  are 
his."  If  "  not  good  enough  for  prelates,"  we  are  content 
"  to  be  good  enough  for  Christ."  If  they  deny  our  ordi- 
nation, we  will  accept  it  from  Paul.  If  driven  from  the 
Episcopal  "  throne,"  blessed  be  God  !  we  may  yet  "  come 
boldly  to  a  throne"  of  heavenly  grace.  If,  lacking  the 
unity  of  form,  we  scandalize  prelacy  by  our  "  contending 

321 


32  THE    EXCLUSIVE    CLAIMS 

lor  the  faith,"  we  rejoice  more  in  our  shame,  than  in  a 
union,  cemented  by  such  indilference  to  truth,  that  "  with 
a  Calvinistic  creed,  a  papal  liturgy,  and  an  Arminian 
clergy,"  "  the  church"  opens  her  doors  alike  to  the  highest- 
toned  Antinomian  and  the  deepest  stained  Pelagian. 

4.  We  may  not,  Christian  reader,  tender  you  fables  and 
self-contradictions  of  fathers,  speculations  of  schoolmen, 
endless  chains  of  ecclesiastical  genealogies,  which  "  min- 
ister questions,"  nor  "  commandments  of  men,"  which 
turn  from  the  truth ;  but  we  offer  you  the  "  words  which 
make  wise  to  salvation,"  the  doctrines  "  which  minister 
grace  to  the  hearers,  "  the  exceeding  great  and  precious 
promises,"  which  sustain  in  the  time  of  tribulation,  the  con- 
solations of  the  Spirit,  which  cheer  in  the  hour  of  sorrow, 
that  hope  which  is  an  anchor  to  the  soul,  amid  the  bufFet- 
ings  of  Satan  and  the  whirlpools  of  temptation,  and  that 
light  which  shall  illumine,  and  that  rod  and  staff  which 
shall  guide  and  sustain  in  the  dark  valley  and  shadow  of 
death.  We  have  no  prelatic  grace  to  bestow,  no  pomp  and 
pageantry  of  consecrations  to  excite  the  romance  of  reli- 
gion, no  costly  robes,  no  crosiers,  no  mitre,  no  lawn,  no 
vaulted  cathedral  "to  allure  to"  church,  nor  crosses  to 
"  point  the  way :"  no  sacramental  signs,  but  those  of 
Christ's  institution ;  but  we  have  "  the  treasure"  of  the 
glorious  grace  of  the  gospel  of  God,  "  borne,"  it  is  true, 
"  in  earthen  vessels,"  but  so  borne,  that  the  "  excellency 
of  the  power,  may  be  of  God  and  not  of  man."  Fear  not, 
if  despised,  rejected  or  persecuted,  by  the  vain  talkers,  es- 
pecially "  them  of  the"  modern  "  circumcision  :"  if  in  Christ 
Jesus,  "  neither  circumcision"  Jewish  or  prelatic,  "  availeth 
any  thing,  nor  uncircumcision."  If  in  his  keeping,  no  man, 
nor  pope,  nor  prelate  can  pluck  you  out  of  his  hands  for 
the  want  of  prelatic  baptism  or  confirmation.  If  God  be 
for  you,  who  can  be  against  you?  "Neither  death,  nor 
life,  nor  angels,  nor  principalities,"  of  earth  or  hell,  "  nor 
any  other  creature,  shall  be  able  to  separate  you  from  the 
love  of  God  which  is  in  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord." 

5.  Fellow  sinner  !  We  have  invited  you,  to  no  contro- 
versial festival  between  churches ;  but  to  the  exposure  of 
error  and  defence  of  truth  :  the  error  more  dangerous,  be- 
cause pleasing  to  your  carnal  heart ;  the  truth  more  un- 
popular, because  unadorned  with  the  trappings  of  huinai) 
device.  Belie /e  no  scheme,  which  rests  your  eternal  all 
on  a  form.  Be  beguiled  by  no  loud  boastful  pretensions, 
no  insinuating  plea,  no  captivating  show.     If  out  of  Christ, 

322 


OF    PRELACY.  33 

it  will  not  save  you  to  have  been  in  "  the  church."  If  out 
of  Christ,  it  matters  not,  when,  where,  nor  by  whom,  you 
received  the  sign  and  seal  of  his  covenant,  or  the  emblems 
of  his  body  and  his  blood.  If  out  of  Christ,  confirmation 
by  all  the  bishops  of  Christendom  will  not  confirm  you  for 
heaven.  If  out  of  Christ,  you  are  without  hope,  without 
refuge,  without  God,  without  holiness,  and  can  never  see 
the  Lord  in  peace. 

"Not  all  the  outward  forms  of  earth, 
Nor  rites  which  God  has  given, 
Nor  will  of  man,  nor  blood,  nor  birth, 
Can  raise  a  soul  to  heaven." 

Accept  then,  we  beseech  you,  the  offer  of  mercy  through 
Christ  Jesus.  Come,  not  to  a  form,  but  to  Christ ;  not  to 
sacraments,  but  to  Christ ;  not  to  a  deacon,  priest  or  bishop, 
but  to  Christ ;  not  to  signs  and  symbols,  but  to  Christ ;  not 
with  the  sacrifice  of  service  nor  the  will-worship  of  forms, 
but  with  the  sacrifice  of  "  a  broken  spirit,  a  broken  and  a 
contrite  heart."  Come  to  Christ,  weary  and  heavy  laden, 
and  he  will  give  you  rest.  "  He  is  able  to  save  them  to 
the  uttermost,  who  come  unto  God  by  him."  Come,  just 
as  you  are  ;  come  one  ;  come  all ;  come  now  ! 

Behold  then  our  foundation, — God's  word  ;  behold  our 
guide, — God's  Spirit ;  behold  our  gospel, — Jesus  Christ  and 
him  crucified,  "the  power  of  God,  and  the  wisdom  of  God 
unto  salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth." 


323 


NOTE 


Since  preparing  the  foregoing  pages  for  the  press,  the  Author's 
attention  has  been  called  to  an  "  address  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  William 
Meade,  to  the  convention  of  the  Episcopal  Church  of  Virginia:" 
designed  to  prove,  "The  doctrines  of  the  Episcopal  church,  not 
Romish."  The  title  of  this  paper,  its  expressed  purpose  and  gen- 
eral tenor,  indicate  the  design  of  its  author  and  indeed  his  wish 
that  it  should  meet  other  e}'es  and  ears  than  Episcopal.  Its 
source  entitles  it  to  great  weight,  and  for  our  part  we  receive  it  as 
an  authoritative  document.  This  is  no  place  to  discuss  the  ques- 
tion how  far  bishop  Meade  has  succeeded  in  sustaining  his  posi- 
tion. We  ask  the  reader's  attention  to  a  few  remarks,  (suggested 
by  a  careful  perusal  of  the  address)  in  connexion  with  those  pas- 
sages of  this  discourse  which  exhibit  the  exclusive  claims  of 
prelacy. 

1.  Bishop  M.  sustains  our  distinction  between  the  Episcopal 
church  as  heard  by  the  public  in  her  articles  and  standard  wri- 
ters, and  that  exclusive  system  sounded  out  from  Oxford  and 
echoed  in  New  York,  Burlington  and  Raleigh.  While  he  yields 
to  none  in  the  distinct  expression  of  his  preference,  he  denounces 
those  who,  "going  beyond"  and  resorting  to  a  "still  stronger  argu- 
ment" (1)  such  as  our  fathers  never  used,  "deny  other  churches 
the  name  of  churches  and  the  right  to  covenanted  mercies."  He 
apologizes  for  those  who  attempt  to  meet  such  unwarrantable 
claims,  and  acknowledges  that  there  is  now,  for  the  third  time,  a 
disposition  on  the  part  of  some  of  the  English  clergy  to  approxi- 
mate, as  near  as  possible,  to  Rome,  in  certain  doctrines  and  prac- 
tices. On  the  other  hand  he  avows  his  preference  for  the  doc- 
trines and  spirit  of  Scott,  Newton,  Simeon,  and  others,  as  exposi- 
tory of  the  Episcopal  church 

2.  He  speaks  of  the  "  other  churches  of  the  reformation"  as 
sister  churches,  and  adds,  "  for  I  love  to  call  them  such ;"  of  "  the 
church  of  Scotland,"  "of  France,"  "  of  Belgium,"  the  "Presbyte- 
rian churches"  and  the  "Congregational  churches  of  America." 
He  even  so  entitles  some,  which  have  separated  from  the  English 
church  since  the  Reformation.  It  may  be  very  impudent,  but  is 
not  surprising  that  those  seeking  information  on  the  true  position 
of  the  Episcopal  church  with  regard  to  others,  should  on  reading 
passages  containing  such  expressions  as  these,  venture  such  en- 
quiries as  the  following,  to  the  Rt.  Rev.  author. 

1.  Since  bishop  Meade  knows  too  well  the  natural  interpretation 
of  his  using  such  expressions,  to  suppose  any  reader  will  doubt 
his  recognition  of  the  non-Episcopal  communions  as  churches, 
324  34 


NOTE.  35 

does  not  such  recognition  require  also  his  recognition  of  the  va- 
lidity of  their  ministry  and  sacraments  1  There  can  be  no  church 
without  a  valid  ministry.  But  bishop  Meade  knows  that  he  does 
not  otiicially  recognize  our  ordination  when  he  reordains  such  of 
our  ministers  as  join  his  church. 

2.  He  calls  ours,  sister  churches,  and  yet  excludes  our  ministers 
from  ministerial  communion  in  his  church.  Would  he  exclude 
Romish  priests,  supposing  them  pious  men  ]  Yet  he  writes  a 
long  address  to  prevent  the  supposition  that  his  church  is  Romish 
— such  is  his  horror  of  antichrist.     Oh  consistency! 

3.  Appreciating  duly  his  account  of  the  reasons  for  the  "  three 
times"  vergency  of  the  Episcopal  church  to  Romanism,  Ave  are 
constrained  to  question  his  theory.  He  tells  us  that  it  is  because 
the  Episcopal  (English)  church  has  not  been  called  to  conflict 
with  Rome  as  others.  Now  we  dare  say  neither  the  Scottish, 
Danisli,  Swedish,  or  Prussian  churches  have  since  the  year  1650, 
been  even  as  much  brought  into  conflict  with  Rome  as  that  of 
England  has  been  called  to  be,  and  yet  have  they  not  remained 
distinctly  Protestant] 

4.  While  bishop  Meade  impliedly  recognizes  the  Methodist 
church  as  one  separating  from  the  English  since  the  Reformation, 
how  is  it  that  one  of  his  other  clergy  in  an  "Inquiry  into  the 
origin  of  American  Methodism"  so  clearly  avows  his  disbelief  in 
the  validity  of  its  ministry,  and  more  than  insinuates  his  denial 
of  Its  claims  to  be  called  a  church  ] 


^^  335 


INATTENTION   TO    RELIGION 
WONDERFUL. 


BY  THE  REV.  WM.  J.  M'CORD. 


The  subject  of  religion  is,  in  various  ways,  presented  to 
the  minds  of  men  and  pressed  upon  their  attention.  It  is 
worthy  their  supreme  regard,  and  it  is  surprising  that  it 
receives  no  more  consideration  from  the  mass  of  the  human 
family.  Long  and  often  has  this  subject  been  unfolded 
and  enforced  ;  its  claims  have  been  confirmed  by  scripturfi 
authority ;  its  demands  strengthened  by  providential  dis- 
pensations ;  and  yet  who  hath  believed  our  report  ?  and  to 
whom  is  the  arm  of  the  Lord  revealed?  Isa.  liii.  1.  On 
this  subject  there  is  an  astonishing  apathy,  a  wonderful 
indifference.  If  we  consider  the  magnitude  of  the  interests 
involved ;  its  intrinsic  excellence ;  the  shortness  and  un- 
certainty of  the  space  allotted  for  embracing  it ;  and  the 
motives  by  which  it  is  recommended  and  enforced  ;  inatten- 
tion to  religion  is  a  matter  of  surprise  and  wonder.  This 
is  the  present  theme  of  remark, — Inattentiom  to  reli- 
gion WONDERFUL, 

I.  It  is  tvonderfulj  if  ive  consider  the  magnitude  of  the 
interests  involved. 

Could  but  a  trifling  loss  be  incurred  by  not  attending  to 
religion,  then  inattention  might  be  excused.  But  there  is 
nothing  of  trifling  moment  connected  with  it.  Every  thing 
is  of  the  most  serious  concern  : — 

1.  All  the  great  things  of  God  are  involved.  His  hon- 
our and  glory  are  concerned.  His  government  has  been 
abused ;    the  penalty  of  4iis  law  has  been  incurred ;    hia 

327 


Z  INATTENTION    TO    RELIGION 

favour  forfeited;  his  wrath  excited.  In  the  plenitude  of 
his  mercy,  he  has  provided  for  the  restoration  of  man  to 
his  favour,  in  a  way  consistent  with  his  honour  and  glory, 
his  justice,  truth,  and  holiness.  He  can  bestow  favour  and 
forgive,  while  at  the  same  time  his  law  is  honoured  and  his 
government  sustained.  He  has  given  his  Son  to  be  a  Sa- 
viour. The  blood  of  Christ  has  been  shed  for  the  remis- 
sion of  sins.  The  benefits  of  redemption  may  be  enjoyed 
by  those  who  believe.  The  Spirit  is  promised  to  renew 
and  sanctify.  This  ascension  gift  may  be  possessed  by 
those  who  ask  in  faith.  Inattention  to  religion  slights  all 
these  great  and  solemn  things.  It  pays  no  regard  to  the 
glory  of  God;  it  cares  not  for  the  honour  of  his  govern- 
ment ;  it  trembles  not  at  his  threatening ;  it  fears  not  his 
angry  frown  ;  it  places  no  adequate  estimate  on  his  favour  ; 
it  seeks  not  to  secure  his  benignant  smile.  Christ  and  his 
salvation  it  sets  at  nought ;  it  prizes  not  the  redemption  he 
has  purchased ;  it  spurns  to  wash  in  the  fountain  of  his 
blood ;  it  treats  with  neglect  and  scorn  the  blessings  which 
he  offers.  The  Holy  Spirit  it  resists,  grieves,  and  offends. 
It  likes  not  the  seriousness  which  he  begets ;  it  would  not 
be  disturbed  in  its  wayward  course ;  its  only  desire  is  to 
be  let  alone.  It  cries  peace  and  safety ;  and  under  its 
influence,  the  sinner  folds  his  hands  in  carnal  security,  and 
composes  himself  to  sleep  over  the  yawning  crater  of  a 
raging  volcano.  When  he  should  hear  the  voice  of  God 
to-day,  he  quiets  his  conscience,  saying.  Yet  a  little  sleep, 
a  little  slumber.  Prov.  vi.  9 — 11.  Is  it  not  wonderful?— 
Besides, 

2.  IVie  soul  and  its  interests  are  involved.  If  men  will 
not  be  moved  by  a  consideration  of  the  great  things  of  God, 
they  should  by  the  things  which  pertain  to  their  own  souls. 
Their  souls  are  themselves,  and  whatever  pertains  to  the 
soul,  pertains  to  them  ;  why  then  should  they  not  be  at- 
tentive to  that  which  concerns  themselves  so  intimately  ? 
It  is  the  design  of  religion  to  save  the  soul,  to  save  it 
from  guilt  and  pollution,  from  a  tormenting  conscience 
in  this  world,  and  from  unutterable  woes  in  the  world  to 
come ;  for  the  soul  shall  never  die.  It  must  live,  and 
think,  and  feel  for  ever.  And  who  can  tell  how  much  it  is 
capable  of  suffering  ?  As  are  its  capacities  of  enjoyment, 
so  are  its  capacities  of  suffering.  A  way  is  provided  for  its 
rescue  from  the  agonies  of  the  lost,  if  timely  application  be 
made  to  the  blood  of  sprinkling.  Unspeakable  joys  are 
prepared,  of  which  it  may  tastCj'^if  Jesus  be  embraced  by 
328 


WONDERFUL.  3 

faith.  On  the  one  hand,  tliere  is  happiness  which  tongue 
cannot  express,  and  which  the  heart  of  man  cannot  con- 
ceive. On  the  other  hand,  there  is  misery  which  human 
language  is  impotent  to  describe,  and  of  which  no  adequate 
conception  can  be  formed.  To  be  inattentive  to  religion  is 
to  be  indifferent  to  these  fearful  realities,  to  the  soul,  to 
heaven  and  hell ;  and  is  not  this  a  wonder? — 

3.  These  interests  are  eternal.  If  the  neglect  of  God 
and  his  government,  of  Christ  and  his  salvation,  of  the 
Spirit  and  his  influences,  were  followed  by  consequences 
of  but  transient  continuance,  the  course  which  men  pursue 
would  be  less  wonderful.  Or  if  heaven  were  of  limited 
duration ;  if  its  songs  were,  after  a  short  period,  to  cease 
and  its  glories  expire ;  if  the  spirits  of  the  just  were  des- 
tined to  cease  to  be,  and  all  the  happiness  of  heaven  soon 
to  be  as  if  it  had  not  been ;  then,  too,  the  conduct  of  men 
might  be  less  wondered  at.  Or  if  hell  were  not  to  be  for 
ever ;  if,  after  the  revolution  of  ages,  its  fires  were  to  be 
extinguished ;  if  its  miserable  inhabitants  were  to  be  anni- 
hilated and  their  sorrows  to  cease  with  their  being ;  then  too 
there  would  be  less  of  madness  and  of  wonder  in  the  in- 
difference of  men  to  religious  things.  But  God  and  Christ 
and  the  Spirit  are  for  ever ;  heaven  and  hell  are  for  ever  ; 
the  soul  is  to  be  for  ever.  The  triune  God  will  for  ever 
exist  to  reward  and  to  punish  ;  heaven  and  hell  will  for 
ever  be,  one  the  place  of  reward,  the  other  of  punishment ; 
the  soul  will  live  for  ever  to  be  either  rewarded  or  punished. 
Eternal  interests  are  at  stake,  interests  which  cannot  be  es- 
timated, and  in  comparison  with  which  all  the  treasures  of 
this  world  are  as  nothing ;  and  yet  men  will  give  them  no 
attention.  How  wonderful !  Reader,  this  carelessness  of 
yours — this  heedlessness  of  duty  and  of  destiny — fills  hea- 
ven and  hell  with  astonishment^  and  it  should  fill  you  with 
alarm  ! — 

II.  Inattention  to  religion  is  wonderful^  if  we  consider 
its  intrinsic  excellence. 

Religion  is  the  one  thing  needful.  It  is  more  precious 
than  rubies.  Prov.  iii.  15.  It  is  the  only  thing  which  can 
prepare  the  soul  to  pass  unscared  through  the  dark  valley 
and  shadow  of  death,  and  to  stand  unalarmed  before  the 
tribunal  of  God.  And  this  can  prepare  us  for  these  solemn 
and  fearful  scenes ;  and  it  can  also  prepare  us  for  all  that 
may  await  us  in  our  journey  through  this  vale  of  tears. 
It  nerves  the  mind  for  trial  and  sustains  it  in  distress. 
2c2  329 


4  INATTENTION    TO    RELIGION 

"  Let  cares,  like  a  wild  deluge  come, 
And  storms  of  sorrow  fall;" 

sustained  by  the  divine  consolations  of  religion,  we  may- 
meet  the  storm  with  composure ;  with  the  eye  of  faith  fixed 
upon  eternal  mansions,  we  may  ride  above  the  billows,  and 
experience  the  fulfilment  of  the  promise,  —  When  thou 
passest  through  the  waters,  I  will  be  with  thee  ;  and  through 
the  rivers,  they  shall  not  overflow  thee  :  when  thou  walkest 
through  the  fire,  thou  shalt  not  be  burned ;  neither  shall 
the  flame  kindle  upon  thee.  Isa.  xliii.  2.  O  how  many 
have  passed  through  the  furnace  sustained  by  the  presence 
of  the  Son  of  God !  And  they  have  confessed,  and  the 
world  has  confessed,  that  nothing  but  religion  could  have 
sustained  them  !  Yet,  notwithstanding  its  excellence,  men 
give  it  not  the  attention  which  they  confess  it  deserves.  It 
possesses  a  value  which  none,  who  have  not  enjoyed  it,  can 
estimate  or  realize  ;  for, 

1.  It  gives  peace  with  God.  Without  it,  there  is  no 
peace  between  man  and  his  Maker.  God  has  claims,  but 
man  refuses  to  answer  them  or  submit  to  them.  God  has 
laws,  but  man  will  not  obey  them.  God  threatens  trans- 
gressors with  vengeance,  and  to  this  man  is  exposed.  What 
God  commands,  that  man  will  not  do.  What  God  forbids, 
that  he  is  quick  to  perform,  and  in  that  he  delights.  Of 
course  there  can  be  no  peace,  no  fellowship.  The  carnal 
mind  is  enmity  against  God  ;  for  it  is  not  subject  to  the 
law  of  God,  neither  indeed  can  be.  Rom.  viii.  7.  But 
religion  reconciles  to  God.  It  destroys  the  enmity  of  the 
carnal  heart.  It  sheds  abroad  a  Saviour's  love  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  which  is  given  unto  us.  Rom.  v.  5.  It  re- 
stores the  soul  to  that  communion  with  God  which  was  lost 
by  the  fall.  It  exalts  us  to  heavenly  places  in  Christ  Jesus. 
Eph.  i.  3.     Being  justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace  with 

•  God,  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Rom.  v.  1.  If  a 
man  love  me,  saith  Jesus,  he  will  keep  my  words ;  and  my 
Father  will  love  him,  and  we  will  come  unto  him,  and 
make  our  abode  with  him.  John  xiv.  23.  Is  it  not  desir- 
able that  God  should  dwell  in  our  hearts  1  Is  it  not  to  be 
desired  that  there  should  be  peace  and  love  between  him 
and  our  souls?  And  when  religion  promises  all  this,  is  it 
not  strange  that  men  neglect  it  1 — 

2.  Religion  gives  peace  of  conscience.  God  hath  made 
us  so,  that  it  is  a  part  of  our  nature  to  reflect  on  the  past 
and  sit  in  judgment  upon  our  own  conduct.     He  has  giveu 

330 


WONDERFUL.  % 

US  conscience,  which  condemns  us,  or  acquits,  as  we  con- 
form or  not  to  the  rules  of  right  which  we  have  been  taught. 
Every  one  has  some  sense  of  right  and  wrong,  and  not 
always  doing  what  he  knows  to  be  right,  must  sometimes 
feel  self-condemned.  To  a  greater  or  less  degree,  the 
whole  family  of  man,  bear  about  with  them  a  consciousness 
of  guilt.  Hence  the  expedients  to  which  the  heathen  resort 
to  obtain  the  favour  of  their  imaginary  deities.  There  is 
no  torture  which  they  will  not  undergo,  there  is  no  penance 
which  they  will  not  endure,  in  the  delusive  expectation  of 
obtaining  peace  of  mind  here  and  blessedness  hereafter. 
Still,  they  are  like  the  troubled  sea  ;  they  have  no  rest.  Isa. 
Ivii.  20,  21.  And  the  same  disquietude  of  heart  is  seen  in 
Christian  lands.  Where  regenerating  grace  has  not  been 
experienced — where  union  with  Christ  does  not  exist — there 
sweet  peace  of  conscience,  like  Noah's  dove,  can  find  no 
rest  for  the  sole  of  her  foot.  The  sinner  may  cry  peace 
and  safety — he  may  flatter  himself  that  his  sins  are  few 
and  trifling ;  but  he  will  have  times  of  serious  thought, 
when  conscience  will  be  aroused,  when  a  sense  of  guilt  will 
rest  with  oppressive  weight  upon  his  soul,  and  when  he 
would  give  worlds  for  a  well-grounded  assurance  that  all 
is  well.  But  such  an  assurance  can  only  be  found  at  the 
cross  of  Christ.  It  is  the  province  of  religion  to  speak 
peace  to  the  soul.  She  is  a  messenger  of  peace.  She 
purges  the  conscience.  She  purifies  the  heart.  Under  her 
benign  influence,  man  may  go  forth  cheered  by  a  peaceful 
and  approving  conscience,  cherishing  the  delightful  assur- 
ance that  his  iniquities  are  forgiven  and  his  sins  covered. 
Rom.  iv.  7.  And  when  men  know  and  feel  that  they  have 
not  peace  of  conscience ;  and  when  they  know  from  the 
scriptures,  and  from  the  experience  of  thousands,  that  reli- 
gion can  set  the  conscience  at  rest ;  why  is  it  that  they  are 
so  unwilling  to  embrace  it  ?  Are  they  in  love  with  unrest? 
Is  a  troubled  bosom,  a  condemning  conscience,  their  de- 
light? But  who  loves  wo  and  sorrow?  Not  one !  Why, 
then,  spurn  religion,  whose  office  it  is  to  calm  the  troubled 
breast,  and  soothe  the  brow  of  care  ?  Oh,  reader,  inatten- 
tion to  this  subject  is  wonderful  indeed  ! — 

3.  Religion  prepares  us  for  all  the  events  and  vicissi' 
tudes  of  life^  and  throws  a  charm  over  all  the  things  of 
time.  We  live  in  a  world  of  changes.  There  is  nothing 
immutable  around  us.  To-day  we  may  possess  wealth  and 
honour,  the  lips  of  the  multitude  may  be  filled  with  our  praise, 
and  all  whom  we  meet  may  bow  with  respect  and  admi- 
1  *  331 


6  INATTENTION    TO    RELIGION 

ration ;  to-morrow  we  may  be  fallen  so  low  that  none  will 
do  us  reverence.  To-day  we  may  be  in  health ;  to-mor- 
row languish  and  die.  One  day  we  may  enjoy  the  ca- 
resses of  friends  ;  the  next  they  may  be  our  enemies,  or  be  • 
cut  down  by  the  hand  of  death.  Though  the  storms  of  sor- 
row have  not  fallen  upon  us  and  caused  us  to  shed  bitter 
tears,  yet  we  may  not  be  ever  shielded  from  the  blasts 
which  others  feel.  Sooner  or  later  we  may  be  in  the  deep 
waters,  with  all  the  billows  flowing  over  our  souls.  What 
then  can  sustain  us  1  In  vain  then  will  be  our  resort  to 
earthly  sources  of  comfort.  In  vain  then  shall  we  look  to 
philosophy  for  support.  In  vain  shall  we  look  to  any  thing 
but  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ.  This  can  sustain  us  then. 
Many  have  proved  its  power  in  such  times  of  need.  And 
when  all  are  subject  to  these  changes  and  vicissitudes — 
when  all  need  the  support  of  religion  as  they  pursue  the 
journey  of  life  and  especially  in  the  hour  of  death — how 
shall  we  restrain  our  wonder  at  their  inattention  to  it  ? 

But  many  think  religion  a  gloomy  thing ;  and  if  they 
embrace  it,  they  must  cease  to  smile,  and  go  mourning  all 
their  days.  But  it  is  not  necessarily  so.  True  religion  is 
not  so  at  all.  It  gives  peace  with  God ;  and  what  is  there 
in  peace  with  God  to  render  us  gloomy  ?  It  gives  peace 
of  conscience ;  and  what  is  there  in  peace  of  conscience 
to  make  us  unhappy  !  So  far  from  rendering  its  votaries 
unhappy,  true  religion  just  prepares  us  to  use  the  things  of 
this  world  so  as  to  enjoy  them  and  derive  satisfaction  and 
pleasure  from  them.  It  teaches  us  to  regard  all  our  bless- 
ings as  coming  directly  from  God  ;  and  when  we  can  thus 
receive  them,  and  feel  that  he  is  our  Father  and  we  his 
children — heirs  of  God,  and  joint-heirs  with  Christ,  Rom. 
viii.  17 — what  is  there  to  prevent  our  taking  delight  in 
them  ?  And  when  we  can  commit  ourselves  to  the  guar- 
dian care  of  God  at  night,  and  go  forth  in  the  day  with  a 
conscious  sense  of  his  presence  and  blessing,  what  is  there 
to  mar  our  happiness  ?  Nothing.  No  ;  religion  throws  a 
charm  around  the  path  of  life  ;  consecrates  the  things  of  this 
world  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  people  of  God,  opens  a  pathway 
to  heaven,  and  gives  a  "  title  clear  to  mansions  in  the 
skies."  She  supports  in  life,  sustains  in  death,  and  intro- 
duces to  immortal  bliss.  She  possesses  intrinsic  excell- 
ence ;  her  worth  cannot  be  told.  Yet  men  heed  it  not. 
They  give  it  little  or  no  attention.  Instead  of  hearing  to- 
day her  gentle  voice,  they  harden  their  hearts  and  refuse 
to  listen  to  her  entreaties.  She  standeth  in  the  top  of  high  • 
332 


WONDERFUL.  »  7 

places,  by  the  way  in  the  places  of  the  paths.  She  crieth 
at  the  gates,  at  the  entry  of  the  city,  at  the  coming  in  at 
the  doors :  unto  you,  O  men,  I  call ;  and  my  voice  is  to 
the  sons  of  men.  O  ye  simple,  understand  wisdom  :  and 
ye  fools,  be  ye  of  an  understanding  heart.  Hear ;  for  I 
will  speak  of  excellent  things ;  and  the  opening  of  my  lips 
shall  be  right  things.  For  my  mouth  shall  speak  truth  : 
and  wickedness  is  an  abomination  to  my  lips.  All  the 
words  of  my  mouth  are  in  righteousness  ;  there  is  nothing 
fro  ward  or  perverse  in  them.  They  are  all  plain  to  him 
that  understandeth,  and  right  to  them  that  find  knowledge. 
Receive  my  instruction,  and  not  silver ;  and  knowledge 
rather  than  choice  gold.  For  wisdom  is  better  than  rubies  ; 
and  all  the  things  that  may  be  desired  are  not  to  be  com- 
pared to  it.  Prov.  viii.  1 — 11.  Yet  men  will  not  attend  ; 
and  this  is  wonderful ! — 

III.  Inatteiition  to  religion  is  wonderful,  if  we  consider 
the  sho?-t7iess  and  uncertainty  of  the  space  allotted  for  at- 
tending to  it. 

Were  our  probation  to  continue  for  ages,  and  were  there 
no  uncertainty  respecting  its  close,  there  would  be  more 
reason  in  putting  off  to  some  future  day,  the  concerns  of 
the  soul.  But  even  then,  duty  and  interest  would  both 
demand  immediate  attention  to  the  one  thing  needful.  Not 
the  fear  of  death,  but  the  claims  of  God,  should  induce  us 
to  become  pious.  And  these  claims  would  be  as  valid  and 
as  urgent,  were  we  sure  of  living  a  thousand  years,  as 
they  are  now ;  and  we  should  regard  them  accordingly. 
But  we  are  sure  that  we  cannot  stay  here  a  thousand  years, 
nor  a  hundred  years.  We  know  not  how  long  we  can 
stay,  nor  how  soon  we  may  be  removed.  These  consid- 
erations should  lead  us  to  attend  to  the  calls  and  claims  of 
God,  and  they  render  it  astonishing  that  we  can  neglect 
them. — For, 

1 .  Life  is  short, 

"  Our  days  are  as  the  grass, 
Or  like  the  morning  flower ! 
When  blasting  winds  sweep  o'er  the  field, 
It  withers  in  an  hour." 


My  days,  said  Job,  are  swifter  than  a  post :  they  flee  away, 
they  see  no  good.     They  are  passed  away  as  the  swifl 

333 


»  »  INATTENTION    TO    RELIGION 

ships :    as   the  eagle  that    hasteth   to  the  prey.    Job  ix. 
25,  26. 


■  A  span  is  all  that  we  can  boast, 
An  inch  or  two  of  time : 

Man  is  but  vanity  and  dust 
In  all  his  flower  and  prime." 


We  live  a  few  days,  or  it  may  be  years,  and  then  go  hence 
to  be  here  no  more.  Yet  on  these  few  days,  or  years,  de- 
pends our  everlasting  destiny.  We  have  but  a  little  while 
to  prepare  for  a  future  state.  Were  we  to  improve  it  all, 
we  should  not  be  too  well  prepared.  And  yet  even  this 
little  space  is  spent  in  trifles  light  as  air,  in  comparison  with 
the  greatest  of  all  subjects.  Men  seem  anxious  so  to  fill 
up  the  moments  between  the  cradle  and  the  grave  as  to 
exclude  religion  entirely.      This  is  strange  indeed ! — 

2.  Life  is  frail  and  uncertain^  as  ivell  as  short.  At  the 
longest  it  is  short ;  and  then  its  continuance  is  full  of  un- 
certainty. We  know  not  what  shall  be  on  the  morrow. 
Jas.  iv.  14.  Hence  the  caution,  Boast  not  thyself  of  to- 
morrow ;  for  thou  knowest  not  what  a  day  may  bring  forth. 
Prov.  xxvii.  1.  The  rose  of  health,  now  blooming  on  our 
cheek,  may  fade  away  before  to-morrow's  dawn.  Every 
thing  pertaining  to  human  life  is  uncertain.  We  can  make 
no  calculations  for  the  future  which  may  not  be  disappoint- 
ed. How  unwise,  then,  to  defer  till  to-morrow,  or  to  the 
uncertain  future,  the  most  precious  of  all  interests  !  Yet 
we  see  men  every  where  acting  this  unwise  part.  This  is 
wonderful !     Well  is  it  said, — 


*'  How  short  and  hasty  is  our  life  ! 
How  vast  our  soufs  affairs  ! 
Yet  senseless  mortals  vainly  strive 
To  lavish  out  their  years  !" 

3.  But  again ;  not  only  is  life  short  and  uncertain^  but 
this  is  our  only  probation.  When  life  is  ended,  our  des- 
tiny is  sealed.  There  is  no  v/ork,  nor  device,  nor  know- 
ledge, nor  wisdom,  in  the  grave,  whither  we  are  going. 
Eccl.  ix.  10.  There  is  no  state  of  trial  beyond  the  gates 
of  death.  It  is  appointed  unto  men  once  to  die,  but  afler 
this  the  judgment.  Heb.  ix.  27.  In  the  future  state  no  of- 
fers of  salvation  will  be  extended  to  us.  There  no  mes 
334 


WONDERFUL.  9 

sages  of  mercy  will  come.  There  the  Spirit's  influences 
will  not  be  felt.  If  death  finds  us  unprepared,  so  shall  we 
be  for  ever  ;  for, 


■  In  that  lone  land  of  deep  despair, 

No  Sabbath's  heavenly  light  shall  rise 
No  God  regard  your  bitter  prayer, 
No  Saviour  call  you  to  the  skies." 


Ah,  what  would  then  be  given  for  one  of  the  days  of  the 
Son  of  man  !  What  bitter  regrets  may  then  be  expressed 
for  privileges  abused,  mercies  slighted,  calls  and  warnings 
unheeded  !  And  do  men  know  that  this  is  their  only  pro- 
bation? Do  they  believe  the  characters  they  here  form 
must  abide  with  them  for  ever  ?  Can  they  be  sensible  that 
death  may  at  any  moment  hurry  them  away  to  the  retribu- 
tions of  eternity,  and  introduce  them  to  a  state  of  being 
which  shall  never  end  and  never  change  ?  Religion  pro- 
claims these  fearful  truths ;  she  is  continually  urging  them 
upon  the  attention  of  men ;  yet  how  unconcerned  they  go 
upon  the  brink  of  death  !  The  scheme  of  redemption  is 
wonderful ;  the  angels  desire  to  look  into  it ;  but  it  scarcely 
exceeds  in  wonder  the  conduct  of  men  in  reference  to  their 
spiritual  interests.  Though  God  speaks  from  his  throne, 
saying,  To-day,  if  ye  will  hear,  harden  not  your  hearts, 
yet  they  stop  their  ears,  and  rush  carelessly  on  in  the  way 
to  ruin  !  And  this  they  do  when  they  know  the  shortness 
and  uncertainty  of  life,  and  that  this  is  their  only  probation. 
Surely  this  is  wonderful ! — 

IV.  Inattention  to  religion  is  wonderful,  if  we  consider 
the  motives  by  which  it  is  e?iforced  and  recommended. 

These  motives  are  the  most  weighty  and  powerful ;  and 
they  press  upon  us  with  overwhelming  authority.     For, 

1 .  Religion  is  urged  upon  the  attention  of  men  by  all 
the  claims  and  authority  of  God.  He  has  a  right  to  their 
love,  their  hearts,  their  service ;  and  he  now  commandeth 
all  men  every  where  to  repent.  Acts  xvii.  30.  To  neglect 
religion  is  to  disregard  his  authority,  and  expose  ourselves 
to  the  wo  denounced  on  those  who  strive  with  their  Maker. 
Isa.  xlv.  9. 

2.  Religion  is  enforced  by  all  that  has  been  done  for  our 
salvation.  And  what  has  been  done  ?  or  rather,  what  has 
not  been  done  ?     What  more  could  have  been  done  ?     I  am 

335 


10  INATTENTION    TO    RELIGION 

far  from  believing  that  in  any  case  all  is  done  that  God 
could  do,  were  he  disposed  to  do  more ;  but  I  know  that 
more  has  been  done  than  we  could  have  had  it  in  our  hearts 
to  ask,  and  infinitely  more  than  we  deserve.  Fix  your 
mind,  reader,  upon  one  prominent  thing  which  has  been 
done  for  our  redemption.  Go  to  the  cross  of  Christ,  hear 
the  expiring  groans  of  the  Son  of  God ;  see  his  blood  pour- 
ed out  for  the  remission  of  sins ;  witness  there  an  exhibi- 
tion of  love  sufficient  to  melt  a  heart  of  adamant ;  then  re- 
member how  men  treat  this  Saviour,  see  how  regardless 
they  are  of  his  invitations,  how  indifferent  to  his  religion, 
and  can  you  restrain  your  wonder  ?  or  can  you  fail  to  be 
self-condemned  for  your  own  life  of  impiety  1 

3.  Religion  is  urged  iqooji  our  attention  hy  all  the  so- 
le??in  and  fearful  realities  of  the  eternal  world.  Heaven 
and  hell  are  not  fables  ;  and  all  the  joys  of  heaven  combine 
their  influence  to  draw  us  to  the  cross.  Does  beauty 
please  us  ?  There  is  beauty  in  heaven,  and  glory  there ; 
yet  we  are  not  ravished  by  its  attractions.  Do  we  desire 
happiness  1  There  is  happiness  in  heaven,  happiness  un- 
alloyed and  eternal ;  yet  it  moves  us  not  to  seek  after  G;od. 
Nor  do  the  woes  of  hell  awaken  us  to  serious  and  enquir- 
ing thought.  Though  its  fires  flash  upon  us  with  lurid 
glare,  yet  we  are  not  so  alarmed  as  to  turn  from  the  way 
of  transgressors.  Heaven  with  its  joys  attracts  us  not ; 
nor  does  hell  with  its  woes  alarm.  We  hear  these  things 
as  idle  tales ;  they  pass  by  us  unheeded  as  the  whistling 
wind  !  And  that  men,  endowed  with  immortality,  hasten- 
ing to  the  bar  of  God,  destined  to  live  for  ever  in  heaven 
or  hell,  should  be  so  inattentive  to  a  subject  enforced  by 
such  motives,  is  wonderful ! 

4.  Religion  is  pressed  upon  our  attention  by  the  most 
interesting  earthly  consider atio7is.  It  sweetens  the  cares 
of  life  and  adds  to  its  pleasures;  it  supports  in  trial,  con- 
soles in  affliction,  and  prepares  for  death.  The  sooner  it 
is  embraced  the  better.  The  earlier  we  attend  to  its  de- 
mands, the  easier  shall  we  find  it  to  cease  to  do  evil  and 
learn  to  do  well.  The  longer  we  delay,  the  more  and  the 
greater  shall  we  find  the  difficulties  which  conspire  to  keep 
us  from  the  cross.  Our  feelings  may  become  callous  ;  our 
consciences  be  seared  ;  our  tenderest  susceptibilities  become 
incapable  of  being  impressed  and  excited  by  the  most  ter- 
rific exhibitions  of  truth.  In  a  word,  our  hearts  may  be 
hardened  by  delay.  Hence  the  impressiveness  of  the 
exhortation,  To-day — To-day,  if  ye  will  hear  his  voice, 

336 


WONDERFUL.  11 

harden  not  your  hearts.  To-day,  sinner,  TO-DAY  t  By- 
refusing  to  hear,  the  heai't  is  hardened.  By  deferring  the 
work  of  repentance,  the  heart  is  hardened.  Procrastina- 
tion is  the  thief  of  time  not  only,  it  is  also  the  murderer  of 
souls  !  Oh  how  many,  by  listening  to  its  voice,  have  per- 
ished for  ever !  They  would  not  hear  the  gospel  call  to- 
day ;  they  deferred  the  all-important  work  till  to-morrow  ; 
and  when  to-morrow  came,  their  cry  was  still  to-morrow  ; 
and  thus  on,  till  the  thread  of  life  was  severed,  and  they 
fell — into  perdition  !  Yet  succeeding  generations  tread  in 
the  footsteps  of  those  who  have  gone  before  them  ;  one 
after  another  falls  into  the  burning  lake,  and  the  living 
take  no  warning !  What  strange  infatuation !  Wonder- 
ful! wonderful!  !  We  may  cease  to  wonder  at  any  thing 
and  every  thing  else.  Here  is  a  wonder  exceeding  every 
other.  And  the  world  is  full  of  wonders  !  Every  man 
who  is  inattentive  to  religion,  indifferent  and  careless,  is  a 
wonder  to  God^  angels^  a7id  men — and  to  devils  too  ! 
He  is  a  wonder  to  three  "wurlds,  heaven,  earth,  and  hell ! 
And  he  will  hereafter  be  a  wonder  to  Imnself ! 

In  conclusion,  I  remark, 

1.  This  subject  affords  a  forcible  illustration  of  the  de- 
pravity of  man.  None  but  a  depraved  creature  could  be 
mdifferent  to  a  matter  so  vastly  important.  It  is  sin  which 
has  rendered  man  so  careless  about  the  most  mighty  con- 
cerns. It  is  sin  which  prepares  him  to  trifle  with  the  soul 
and  eternity.  It  is  sin  which  rejects  the  Saviour,  grieves 
the  Spirit,  and  keeps  the  motives  of  the  gospel  from  having 
their  appropriate  influence  upon  the  heart.  And  this  sin 
must  be  repented  of,  and  be  forgiven,  or  the  sinner  is  for 
ever  undone !  He  must  come  to  Christ,  or  perish ;  he 
must  hear  the  gospel  call,  or  die  1  Yes,  reader,  you  must 
hear  this  call,  or  die  ! 

2.  If  you  ever  intend  to  hear  the  voice  of  God,  you, 
sJwuld  hear  it  to-day  !  It  is  the  Holy  Ghost  who  says, 
TO-DAY,  if  ye  will  hear  his  voice,  harden  not  your  hearts. 
No  time  like  the  present.  Of  no  other  time  are  you  cer- 
tain. Behold,  now  is  the  accepted  time ;  behold,  NOW  is 
tJie  day  of  salvation.  2  Cor.  vi.  2.  Another  day  you  may 
never  see.  Another  call  you  may  never  have.  If  you 
hear  not  to-day,  you  may  never  hear  at  all.  To-morrow 
has  ruined  multitudes  ;  it  may  be  your  ruin  !  If  you  hear 
not  to-day,  you  may  perish  to-morrow !     Let  this  sound  be 

2D  337 


12  INATTENTION    TO    RELIGION    WONDERFUL. 

ever  in  your  ears,  If  I  hear  not  to-day,  and  believe  and 
obey,  I  MAY  perish  to-morrow  !  !  O  hear  to-day,  em- 
brace the  Saviour,  and  live  ! 


Now  from  the  cross  a  voice  of  peace 
Bids  Sinai's  awful  thunder  cease ; 
O  sinner,  while  'tis  called  to-day, 
That  voice  of  saving  love  obey !" 


THE  EJSD, 


338 


No.  LV. 


THE  GOSPEL   CALL; 

OR, 

LOOK  AND  BE  SAVED. 


Look  unto  me,  and  be  ye  saved,  all  the  ends  of  the  earth:  for  I  am  God 
and  there  ia  none  else. — Isa.  xlv.  22. 

This  chapter  Qpens  with  a  prophecy  respecting  Cyrus  and 
the  conquest  of  Babylon.  The  Lord  Jehovah  would  deliver 
that  proud  and  wicked  city  into  his  hands,  that  the  Jews 
might  be  delivered  from  their  long  captivity.  From  their 
deliverance  occasion  is  taken  to  speak  of  the  enlargement 
and  prosperity  of  the  church.  As  it  is  God  who,  by  the 
hand  of  Cyrus,  delivered  Israel  from  captivity ;  and  as  it  is 
God  who  enlarges  and  prospers  his  church,  and  dwells  in 
her,  and  reigns  over  her ;  so  the  prophet  denounces  the 
folly  of  idolatry  and  the  destruction  of  idolaters.  There  is 
but  one  living  and  true  God.  They  have  no  knowledge 
that  set  up  the  wood  of  their  graven  image,  and  pray  unto 
a  god  that  cannot  save.  There  is  no  God  else  besides  me, 
saith  Jehovah ;  a  just  God  and  a  Saviour ;  there  is  none 
besides  me.  Isa.  xlv.  5,  6,  16,  17,  20,  21.  Salvation  from 
Babylon  by  divine  interposition  suggests  another  and  a  still 
greater  salvation ;  and  it  is  in  reference  to  this  especially 
that  Jehovah  styles  himself  a  just  God  and  a  Saviour. 
He  is  just  while  he  saves :  just,  and  the  justifier  of  him 
whibh  believeth  in  Jesus.  Rom.  iii.  26.  Hence  it  is  declared, 
Israel  shall  be  saved  in  the  Lord  with  an  everlasting  salva- 
tion. And  this  gospel  call  is  added.  Look  unto  me,  and  be 
ye  saved,  all  the  ends  of  the  earth  :  for  I  am  God,  and  there 
is  none  else.  Isa.  xlv.  17,  22,  25. 

The  first  inquiry  that  arises  is,  Who  utters  this  call, 

339 


2  THE    GOSPEL    CALL;    OR, 

saying,  Look  unto  me  ?  And  it  will  be  perceived  tliat  lie 
claims  to  be  a  divine  person — the  Supreme  Being — I  am 
God,  and  there  is  none  else.  If  the  Scriptures  be  not 
mtended  to  deceive  us — and  this  thought  cannot  be  enter- 
tained for  a  moment — then  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  it  fs 
Jehovah  who  speaks,  the  great  I  AM,  the  Supreme  and 
Infinite  God.  He  styles  himself  God  several  times  in  this 
chapter ;  and  the  name  Lord  here  occurs  no  less  than  six- 
teen times  printed  in  small  capitals,  and  wherever  that  is 
the  case  in  our  Bibles,  the  original  word  is  Jehovah,  the 
incommunicable  name  of  God.  And  there  can  be  no  cer- 
tainty in  language  if  the  speaker  in  this  place  be  not  the 
blessed  and  eternal  God.  He  expressly  declares  in  the 
fifth  verse,  I  am  the  Lord,  and  there  is  none  else,  there  is 
no  God  besides  me.  Isa.  xlv.  5.  Now  every  one  must  be 
struck,  I  think,  with  the  similarity  of  the  call  in  the  passage 
before  us,  with  that  gracious  invitation  in  Matt.  xi.  28 — 30, 
Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labour,  and  are  heavy  laden, 
and  I  will  give  you  rest,  &c.  And  as  he  uses  in  substance 
the  same  language  and  promises  the  same  blessings,  we 
might  infer  that  he  who  gives  that  precious  invitation  is 
the  same  Divine  Being  who  speaks  in  the  text.  But  we 
are  not  left  to  inference ;  for  the  passage  from  which  the 
text  is  selected,  is,  in  the  New  Testament,  expressly  applied 
to  Jesus  Christ ;  and  hence  we  have  here  an  unanswerable 
argument  for  the  divinity  of  the  blessed  Redeemer.  Thus, 
in  the  verse  following  the  text,  I  have  sworn  by  myself,  the 
word  is  gone  out  of  my  mouth  in  righteousness,, and  shall 
not  return,  that  unto  me  every  knee  shall  bow,  every 
tongue  shall  swear;  and  in  Phil.  ii.  9 — 11,  the  apostle 
Paul  applies  this  passage  to  Jesus  Christ ;  Wherefore  God 
also  hath  highly  exalted  him,  and  given  him  a  name  which 
is  above  every  name  :  that  at  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee 
should  bow,  of  things  in  heaven,  and  things  in  earth,  and 
things  under  the  earth ;  and  that  every  tongue  should  con- 
fess that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the 
Father.  And  in  Rev.  v.  13,  the  beloved  disciple  writes, 
And  every  creature  which  is  in  heaven,  and  on  the  earth, 
and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  and  all  that  are  in  them,  heard 
I  saying,  Blessing,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  power,  be 
unto  him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb, 
for  ever  and  ever.  Here,  then,  is  a  demonstration  of  the 
divinity  of  our  Saviour.  He  assumes  the  name  of  God, 
and  that  name  is  given  him  by  inspired  writers  ;  he  claims 
the  honour  and  worship  due  to  God,  and  these  are  given 
340 


LOOK    AND    BE    SAVED.  3 

him  by  all  intelligent  beings  in  heaven  and  on  earth.  He, 
then,  is  God,  as  well  as  man ;  and  it  is  he,  the  second  per- 
son of  the  adorable  Trinity,  who  should  afterwards  become 
incarnate,  that  speaks  in  the  text.  He  speaks  as  a  Divine 
Redeemer,  as  a  Saviour  who  is  over  all,  God  blessed  for 
ever.  Rom.  ix.  5.  And  he  is  also  man — God  manifest  in 
the  flesh — for  he  took  our  nature  into  personal  union  with 
his  divinity,  "  and  so  was,  and  continueth  to  be,  God  and 
man,  in  two  distinct  natures,  and  one  person  for  ever."  1 
Tim.  iii.  16. 

Hence  he  can  speak  with  authority.  He  has  a  right  to 
speak.  In  regard  to  his  essential  divinity,  he  has  a  right 
to  say.  Look  unto  me.  He  may  speak  as  God,  and  utter 
his  commands  with  authority.  As  Mediator,  too,  he  has  a 
right  thus  to  speak.  Hence  it  is  recorded  that  he  taught  as 
one  having  authority,  and  not  as  the  scribes.  Matt.  vii.  29. 
It  is  as  Mediator  that  he  says  in  Matt,  xxviii.  18,  All  power 
is  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  in  earth ;  and  in  Matt.  xi. 
27,  All  things  are  delivered  unto  me  of  my  Father.  And  it 
is  as  God-man,  Mediator,  possessing  all  power  in  heaven 
and  on  earth,  that  he  cries,  Look  unto  me.  and  be  ye  saved. 
Hence  he  adds.  Surely  shall  one  say.  In  the  Lord  have  I 
righteousness  and  strength :  even  to  him  shall  men  come  ; 
and  all  that  are  incensed  against  him  shall  be  ashamed. 
In  the  Lord  shall  all  the  seed  of  Israel  be  justified,  and 
shall  glory.  Isa.  xlv.  22 — 25.  And  he  knows  the  extent 
of  his  merits  and  ability,  and  the  propriety  of  this  invitation. 
It  must  be  proper,  or  he  would  not  give  it ;  and  its  propriety 
is  based  upon  the  sufficiency  of  his  merits  and  his  power  to 
save  unto  the  uttermost  all  that  come  unto  God  by  him. 
Heb.  vii.  25.  It  has  been  shown  that  he  is  the  mighty  God ; 
he  is  therefore  able  to  save.  And  being  divine,  he  is  pos- 
sessed of  infinite  perfection  and  excellence ;  and  therefore 
his  sacrifice  is  of  infinite  value.  It  must  of  course  be  suffi- 
cient for  all  the  ends  of  the  earth.  "  The  dignity  of  his 
person  imparted  to  his  sufferings  a  worth  above  all  price." 
His  obedience  and  death  are  infinitely  meritorious.  They 
constitute  an  all-sufficient  righteousness.  He  knows  the 
sufficiency  of  his  atonement  and  the  whole  extent  of  his 
ability  to  save ;  and  as  there  can  be  no  doubt  on  these 
points,  the  propriety  of  the  invitation  is  unquestionable. 

The  second  point  demanding  attention  is  the  call  or  invi- 
tation itself.  Look  unto  me,  and  be  ye  saved.     But  what  is 
2  D  2  341 


4  THE    GOSPEL    CALL  ;    OR, 

it  to  look  ?  What  does  the  Saviour  mean  when  he  calls 
upon  sinners  to  look  unto  him?  It  is  such  a  look  as  is 
connected  with  salvation.  It  is  more  than  to  look  with  the 
bodily  eyes  ;  it  is  the  same  as  to  believe ;  it  is  faith.  Dif- 
ferent terms  are  used  in  the  Scriptures  to  describe  faith, 
according  to  the  various  aspects  in  which  the  Lord  Jesus  is 
there  held  up  to  view.  "  When  the  flesh  and  blood  of  Christ 
(or  his  incarnation  and  satisfaction)  are  exhibited  as  meat 
indeed,  and  drink  indeed;  faith,  in  conformity  to  this,  is 
called  eating  and  drinking  of  the  same,  John  vi.  55,  56 ; 
when  Christ  is  held  forth  as  a  refuge,  faith  is  a  flying  to 
him  for  safety,  Heb.  vi.  18 ;  and  when  he  is  represented  as 
a  door,  faith  is  an  entering  in  by  him,"  John  x.  9.  Faith* 
is  a  receiving  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  a  resting  upon 
him  for  salvation.  We  receive  him  as  the  gift  of  God  freely 
offered ;  we  rest  upon  him  as  the  foundation  of  our  hope. 
So  we  are  invited  to  look  to  him  as  the  Author  and  Finisher 
of  our  faith  ;  and  we  are  to  look  to  him  as  the  Lamb  of 
God  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world,  John  i.  29 ; 
we  are  to  look  to  him  as  the  one  who  came  to  seek  and  to 
save  the  lost,  and  who  is  able  and  mighty  to  save,  Luke 
xix.  10;  Isa.  Ixiii.  1;  and  to  look  is  to  believe;  it  is  to 
receive  and  rest  upon  Jesus  Christ  alone  for  salvation,  as 
he  offers  himself  to  us ;  it  is  to  commit  our  souls  and  our 
all  to  him  for  time  and  eternity. 

There  may  be  here  an  allusion  to  the  brazen  serpent 
erected  by  Moses,  as  recorded  in  the  21st  chapter  of  Num- 
bers. The  Israelites  murmured,  and  the  Lord  sent  fiery 
serpents  among  them.  Many  were  bitten,  and  much  people 
of  Israel  died.  Moses  was  commanded  to  make  a  fiery 
serpent  of  brass  ;  he  did  so,  and  put  it  upon  a  pole  ;  and  it 
came  to  pass,  that  if  a  serpent  had  bitten  any  man,  when 
he  beheld  the  serpent  of  brass,  he  lived.  Num.  xxi.  4 — 10. 
Here  was  a  type  of  Christ.  Hence  the  Saviour  says.  And 
as  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  wilderness,  even  so 
must  the  Son  of  man  be  lifted  up  :  that  whosoever  believeth 
in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life.  John  iii.  14, 
15.  And  again,  When  ye  have  lifted  up  the  Son  of  man, 
then  shall  ye  know  that  I  am  he.  John  viii.  28.  And  yet 
again,  And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all 
men  unto  me.  John  xii.  32.     Jesus  has  been  lifted  up  upon 


*  See  Fisher's  Catechism,  Part  2,  page  151,  published  by  the  Presbyte- 
rian Board. 

342 


LOOK    AND    BE    SAVED.  6 

the  cross ;  his  own  self  bare  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on 
the  tree,  1  Pet.  ii.  24 ;  he  hath  once  suffered  for  sins,  the 
just  for  the  unjust,  that  he  might  bring  us  to  God,  1  Pet. 
iii.  18;  and  now  he  invites  us  to  look  unto  him  and  be 
saved.  Sin,  like  a  fiery  serpent,  has  pierced  us ;  we  are 
dying  of  our  wounds ;  and  M'-e  are  to  look  to  Christ  for  life. 

Hence,  in  the  third  place,  it  is  worthy  of  attention  to 
whom  we  are  to  look.  We  have  seen  who  it  is  that  speaks : 
it  is  Jesus  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  sinners.  To  him  we  are 
to  look.  There  is  no  Saviour  besides  him.  It  is  vain  to 
look  any  where  else  for  salvation.  This  point  is  settled  by 
inspiration  itself  Neither  is  there  salvation  in  any  other : 
for  there  is  none  other  name  under  heaven  given  among 
men,  whereby  we  must  be  saved.  Acts  iv.  12.  It  is  happy 
for  our  race  that  there  is  salvation  in  him.  We  have  rea- 
son to  rejoice  that  this  blessed  invitation  is  given  unto  us. 
We  might  have  been  left  with  no  salvation  provided ;  or  we 
might  have  been  suffered  to  live  and  die  in  ignorance  of  the 
gospel.  But  the  Lord  has  pitied  and  provided.  For  God 
so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that 
whosoever  believeth  in  him,  should  not  perish,  but  have 
everlasting  life.  John  iii.  16. 

And,  in  the  fourth  place,  we  see  for  what  we  are  to  look 
to  Christ.  It  is  salvation — look  and  be  saved  —  just  the 
blessing  we  need,  for  we  are  perishing  in  our  sins.  And  as 
there  is  no  Saviour  but  Jesus,  so  there  is  no  salvation  but 
by  looking  to  him  for  it.  We  must  look  to  him  to  be  saved, 
or  we  can  never  be  saved  at  all.  And  salvation  is  deliver- 
ance from  sin.  This  is  the  direful  evil  which  is  working 
our  ruin.  It  has  corrupted  us  in  all  the  parts  and  faculties 
of  our  souls  and  bodies  and  rendered  us  unfit  for  the  holy 
society  and  employments  of  heaven.  Happiness  does  not 
depend  so  much  upon  place  as  upon  character.  To  be  pre- 
pared for  heaven  our  corrupt  natures  must  be  renovated ; 
sin  must  be  removed ;  we  must  not  only  be  delivered  from 
condemnation,  but  from  corruption.  Jesus  saves  from  sin, 
and  in  so  doing  delivers  from  wrath.  Matt.  i.  21.  1  Thess. 
i.  10.  And  they  who  do  look  to  Jesus  Christ  by  faith,  are 
saved.  He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life. 
John  iii.  36.  He  that  hath  the  Son,  hath  life ;  and  he  that 
hath  not  the  Son  of  God,  hath  not  life.  1  John  v.  12.  And 
the  Saviour  declares,  He  that  heareth  my  word,  and  believ- 
eth on  him  that  sent  me,  hath  everlasting  life,  and  shall  not 
1  *  343 


6  THE    GOSPEL    CALL;    OR, 

come  into  condemnation ;  but  is  passed  from  death  unto  life, 
John  V.  24.  Hence  we  are  to  look  unto  Jesus  for  pardon, 
sanctification,  eternal  life — all  the  blessings  of  salvation; 
ask,  that  we  may  receive ;  seek  that  we  may  find.  Matt. 
vii.  7,  8. 

But,  in  the  fifth  place,  who  are  invited  to  look  to  Christ 
for  salvation  ?  All  the  ends  of  the  earth — all  the  world — 
all  the  nations  of  the  earth — all  the  people  of  the  world. 
There  is  a  coincidence  between  this  invitation  and  the  com- 
mission of  our  Saviour  to  his  ministers :  Go  ye  into  all  the 
world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature.  Mark  xvi. 
15.  The  commission  extends  to  all  the  world,  and  every 
creature  in  it ;  and  so  does  the  invitation.  Nor  is  this  the 
only  unlimited  call  which  the  Saviour  makes :  Ho,  every 
one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the  waters.  Isa.  Iv.  1 — 3. 
And  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the  water  of  life  freely. 
Rev.  xxii.  17.  If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  unto  me, 
and  drink.  John  vii.  37.  Let  all  the  ends  of  the  earth, 
those  who  are  far  off  and  those  who  are  nigh,  look  unto 
Jesus  Christ  and  be  saved. 

This  invitation  is  free.  It  implies  no  merit  on  the  part 
of  those  to  whom  it  is  given,  nor  does  it  admit  of  any. 
Salvation  is  offered  as  a  free  gift,  and  there  is  no  merit  in 
accepting  a  gift.  Rom.  vi.  23. 

"  He  makes  no  hard  condition, 
'Tis  only— Look,  and  live." . 

The  invitation  is  general.  It  is  not  given  to  any  par- 
ticular  class;  it  extends  to  all  classes,  ranks,  and  condi- 
tions ;  and  no  one  need  think  himself  excluded.  The  gos- 
pel call  excludes  no  one,  and  why  should  any  one  exclude 
himself? 

The  invitation  is  universal.  It  covers  the  wide  world ; 
it  reaches  to  every  nation  and  tribe ;  to  every  family  and 
every  individual.  Reader,  you  are  as  distinctly  invited  to 
look  to  Jesus  Christ  and  be  saved,  as  if  you  were  the  only 
person  in  the  world  ! 

And  the  invitation  is  sincere.     The  Lord  Jesus  never 
trifles.     He  means  just  what  he  says.     His  sincerity  is  seen 
in  his  agony  in  the  garden ;  in  his  groans  upon  the  cross  ; 
344 


LOOK    AND    BE    SAVED.  7 

in  all  he  said  and  did.  He  was  in  earnest  when  he  under- 
took the  work  of  human  redemption ;  and  he  is  sincere 
when  he  says  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  Look  unto  me,  and 
be  ye  saved. 

The  invitation  is  earnest  and  pressing.  He  who  gives  it 
seems  unwilling  to  take  any  denial.  He  presses  his  claims 
in  various  forms ;  he  urges  every  motive ;  he  uses  every 
variety  of  expression  in  order  to  engage  attention  and  per- 
suade poor  miserable  sinners  to  accept  of  the  benefits  he 
offers  them.  He  warns  them  of  eternal  death ;  he  holds 
up  life,  eternal  life,  and  inquires,  Why  will  ye  die  ?  Ezek. 
xxxiii.  11.  Again  he  says.  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door, 
and  knock ;. if  any  man  hear  my  voice,  and  open  the  door, 
I  will  come  in  to  him,  and  will  sup  with  him,  and  he  with 
me.  Rev.  iii.  20. 

And  this  invitation  includes  every  period  of  life  and  every 
variety  of  character.  Sinners  of  every  age  and  of  every 
grade  are  here  invited  to  look  to  Jesus  and  be  saved.  Are 
you  young?  He  says  to  you.  Look  and  live!  Are  you 
old  ?  He  says  to  you.  Look  and  live !  Are  your  sins 
many  1  are  they  great  ?  He  is  a  great  Saviour ;  and  he 
says  to  you,  poor  sinner,  to  you,  Look  and  live ! 

But  you  ask.  Why  should  I  look  to  Jesus  ?  The  reply 
has  been  anticipated  in  part,  still  it  is  worthy  of  further 
attention.  He  says,  I  am  God,  and  there  is  none  else : 
hence  you  should  look  to  him  because  there  is  none  else  to 
whom  you  can  look.  You  may  search  creation  over — you 
may  go  to  the  ends  of  the  earth — you  may  ascend  up  into 
heaven — and  you  can  find  no  other  Saviour — no  other  being 
who  can  help — none  else  who  can  save.  He,  and  he  alone, 
is  able  to  save. 

"  None  but  Jesus 
Can  do  helpless  sinners  good." 

And  he  is  willing  to  save.  He  has  given  abundant  proof 
of  his  willingness.  He  waits  to  be  gracious.  He  stands 
ready  to  receive  you.  He  invites  the  needy  and  perishing 
to  look  and  be  saved.  You  are  needy — you  are  perishing 
— will  you  look  ?  or  will  you  die  ? 

This  subject  teaches  us  the  connection  between  faith  and 

345 


8  THE  GOSPEL  CALL;    OR,  LOOK  AND  BE  SAVED. 

salvation.  They  who  look  are  saved;  they  who  do  not 
look  cannot  be  saved.  Hence  the  propriety  of  calling  faith 
a  saving  grace.  Where  faith  is,  there  is  salvation  begun ; 
and  where  there  is  no  faith,  there  death  reigns.  You  see, 
then,  the  necessity  of  faith :  look,  believe,  if  you  would  be 
saved. 

Again ;  every  one  who  hears  the  gospel  is  authorized  to 
believe  it.  The  gospel  is  good  tidings  of  great  joy  to  all 
people.  Luke  ii.  10,  11.  Jesus  says  to  all.  Look  and  be 
saved.  The  gospel  call  extends  to  every  creature.  Every 
one  who  hears  should  believe,  look  to  Christ  by  faith  and 
prayer,  trust  in  him  as  his  Saviour,  and  thus  appropriate  to 
himself  the  general  offer  and  make  his  own  calling  and 
election  sure.  2  Pet.  i.  10. 

But  though  all  are  invited  to  Christ,  and  all  who  hear  are 
authorized  to  believe  in  him,  yet  all  are  not  saved  by  him  ; 
not  because  he  is  unable  or  unwilling,  nor  because  of  any 
defect  or  deficiency  in  his  satisfaction,  but  because  they 
will  not  look  unto  him  for  salvation.  John  v.  40.  A  uni- 
versal offer  implies  not  universal  salvation.  A  general  invi- 
tation does  not  benefit  those  who  do  not  accept  it.  Though 
Christ  invites  all,  yet  many  perish  in  their  sins ;  and  it  is 
clear  that  they  who  perish  under  such  circumstances,  are 
without  excuse.  They  do  not  reject  the  atonement  because 
of  its  definiteness,  but  because  of  their  wickedness.  They 
will  not  come  unto  Christ  for  life.  Reader,  shall  this  be 
your  condemnation  1  The  Lord  forbid !  O  hear  when 
Jesus  invites.  Look  unto  me,  and  be  ye  saved,  all  the  ends 
of  the  earth  :  for  I  am  God,  and  there  is  none  else.  Look, 
that  you  may  be  saved !     Believe,  that  you  may  live  ! 


THE   END. 


346 


No.  LVI. 


WHAT    IS    FAITH? 


A  LETTER  TO  A  FRIEND. 


My  Dear  Friend — Your  letter  is  received,  and  I  hasten 
to  answer  it.  You  feel  yourself  a  sinner.  You  have  some 
conviction  of  what  your  heart  is,  as  well  as  of  what  it  should 
be.  You  are  sensible  that  it  is  unfit  for  heaven,  and  that 
it  must  be  made  new,  or  you  cannot  be  saved.  Hence  the 
propriety  of  earnest  prayer  for  a  new  heart  and  a  right 
spirit.  But  rest  not  on  your  prayers,  for  there  is  nothino- 
meritorious  in  them.  Neither  make  it  your  aim  to  seek  for 
peace.  This  is  often  a  mistake  of  the  anxious.  They  are 
distressed ;  and  instead  of  surrendering  to  Jesus  Christ, 
yielding  to  his  Spirit,  embracing  him  by  faith,  and  doing 
their  duty,  they  are  seeking  relief  from  their  distress.  Now 
so  long  as  this  course  is  pursued,  true  and  lasting  peace 
cannot  be  found.  That  is  the  fruit  of  faith :  and  so  long  as 
faith  in  Jesus  Christ  is  not  exercised,  it  cannot  be  enjoyed. 
Hence  the  sinner's  first  duty  is,  to  come  to  Christ.  The 
business  of  salvation  is^  between  Christ  and  the  soul.  It  is 
with  the  Saviour  that  you  have  to  do.  Religion  is  a  per- 
sonal concern.  Therefore  be  much  alone.  Read  the  Bible; 
examine  yourself ;  meditate ;  pray  ;  but  above  all,  and  first 
of  all,  believe  in  Jesus  Christ.  But  you  ask  me,  "  What  is 
it  to  believe?  What  is  faith?"  I  reply,  fully  to  under- 
stand it,  you  must  put  forth  the  act,  and  believe  for  your- 
self: you  must  know  what  it  is*  by  experience,  fully  to 
comprehend  it.  Still,  that  I  may  try  to  help  you,  let  me 
say, 

1 .  Look  at  yourself.     Review  your  life ;  search  your 
heart ;  call  to  mind  your  past  offences  j  array  your  sins  in 

347 


2  WHAT    IS    FAITH  ? 

order  before  you ;  compare  yourself  with  the  law  of  God, 
with  the  whole  Scriptures,  and  endeavour  to  realize  what 
you  are :  how  corrupt,  how  vile,  how  miserable,  how 
helpless,  how  undone,  how  hopeless,  how  perishing,  how 
ill-deserving,  how  hell-deserving ! 

2.  Then  look  at  the  Saviour.  Consider  his  person, 
character,  offices,  and  work :  how  wonderful,  how  excel- 
lent, how  glorious !  What  abundant  provision  is  here ; 
what  fulness  in  his  atonement ;  what  efficacy  in  his  blood  ; 
what  sufficiency  in  his  righteousness ;  what  prevalency  in 
his  intercession  !  God  is  just,  but  his  justice  is  satisfied  by 
the  atoning  Saviour ;  the  law  of  God  condemns  us,  but  Jesus 
came  to  deliver  us  from  the  curse ;  the  Holy  Spirit  con- 
vinces of  sin,  and  takes  of  the  things  of  Christ  and  shows 
them  unto  us.  John  xvi.  7 — 15.  He  leads  us  to  feel  our 
need  of  Christ ;  and  as  you  are  convinced  of  your  sins, 
and  feel  your  need  of  an  interest  in  the  Saviour,  you  are 
under  his  influences.  The  Spirit  is  striving  with  your  heart. 
Beware  that  you  resist  him  not.  Grieve  him  not  away. 
He  would  draw  you  to  the  cross.  He  would  lead  you  to 
look  to  the  Saviour,  and  flee  unto  him. 

3.  Then  consider  not  only  the  sufficiency  of  the  Saviour, 
but  his  willingness  to  save ;  yes,  his  willingness  to  save 
you.  He  makes  a  full  and  free  offer  of  himself;  he  invites 
sinners  to  come  unto  him ;  and  he  does  not  exclude  you 
from  his  gracious  invitations.  You  are  persuaded  of  his 
ability  to  save ;  you  know  he  is  able  ;  why  not  credit  his 
willingness  as  well  as  his  ability  ?  Why  not  take  him  at 
his  word  ?  Is  he  not  worthy  of  confidence  ?  And  hath  he 
not  said,  "  Him  that  cometh  to  me,  I  will  in  no  wise  cast 
out  ?"  John  vi.  37.  "  Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth,  come 
ye  to  the  waters:"  Isa.  Iv.  1.  "Whosoever  will  let  him 
come."  Rev.  xxii.  12.  "  If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come." 
John  vii.  37.  Then  you  may  come.  Jesus  Christ  is  will- 
ing to  save ;  he  is  waiting  to  be  gracious ;  he  is  ready  to 
receive  you.     Such  is  the  testimony  of  Scripture. 

4.  Then  "  What  is  faith  ?  or,  What  is  it  to  believe  ?"  As 
it  respects  God,  it  is  to  credit  his  word,  the  record  he  has 
given  of  his  Son,  and  then  to  act  accordingly,  and  receive 
his  Son  as  he  is  offered  in  the  word  and  trust  in  him.  As 
it  respects  the  Saviour,  it  is  to  credit  his  promises,  his  in- 
vitations, his  offers  of  himself,  his  ability  and  willingness 

348 


WHAT    IS    FAITH?  3 

to  save,  and  then  to  act  accordingly,  and  rest  on  his  prom- 
ises, accept  the  invitations,  close  in  with  the  offers,  and  so 
to  embrace  Christ  as  our  Saviour,  and  trust  in  him  for  sal- 
vation. To  believe  in  Christ  is  to  trust  in  Christ ;  it  is  to 
confide  in  him,  to  commit  our  souls  to  him,  and  be  willing 
that  he  should  reign  over  us  and  in  us,  and  save  us  in  his 
own  way,  and  dispose  of  us  to  his  glory.  Hence  faith  is 
one  of  those  terms  which  can  scarcely  be  made  plainer  by 
definition.  It  is  belief ;  it  is  trust ;  confidence;  reliance — 
affectionate  and  obedient  reliance  upon  the  Saviour  of  sin- 
ners. It  is  variously  expressed  in  the  Scriptures,  as  believ- 
ing in  Christ,  coming  to  Christ,  feeding  on  Christ,  eating 
his  body,  drinking  his  blood,  looking  to  him,  fleeing  lO  him, 
receiving  him,  laying  hold  of  him,  building  on  him.,  putting 
on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  &c.  The  Assembly's  Shorter 
Catechism  says,  "  Faith  in  Jesus  Christ  is  a  saving  grace, 
whereby  we  receive  and  rest  upon  him  alone  for  salvation, 
as  he  is  offered  to  us  in  the  gospel,"  And  says  Fisher's 
Catechism,*  which  explains  the  Shorter,  "  When  the  flesh 
and  blood  of  Christ  (or  his  incarnation  and  satisfaction)  are 
exhibited  as  meat  indeed,  and  drink  indeed,  faith,  in  confor- 
mity to  this,  is  called  eating  and  drinking  of  the  same ; 
John  vi.  55,  56.  When  Christ  is  held  forth  as  a  refuge, 
faith  is  a  flying  to  him  for  safety  ;  Heb.  vi.  18.  And  when 
he  is  represented  as  a  door,  faith  is  an  entering  in  by  him ;" 
John  X.  9.  Faith  is  receiving  Christ,  "because  Christ  the 
glorious  object  of  it,  is  revealed  in  Scripture  under  the  no- 
tion of  a  gift,  2  Cor.  ix.  15,  presented  to  such  as  are  quite 
poor,  and  have  nothing  of  their  own,"  Rom.  v.  17,  18.  It 
is  resting  on  Christ,  "  because  he  is  revealed  in  the  word  as 
a  firm  foundation,  Isa.  xxviii.  16,  on  which  we  may  lay  the 
weight  of  our  everlasting  concerns  with  the  greatest  ccufi- 
dence  and  satisfaction,  Psa.  cxvi.  7."  And  resting  on 
Christ  is  "  the  same  with  trusting  in  him,  Isa.  xxvi.  4 ;  or 
relying  on  his  righteousness  and  fulness,  as  laid  out  in  the 
word,  for  our  unanswerable  plea  and  inexhaustible  treasure," 
Isa.  xlv.  24.  Such  is  faith :  to  believe  in  Christ  is  to  re- 
ceive and  rest  upon  him  alone  for  salvation,  as  he  is  offered 
in  the  Scriptures  ;  and  he  is  offered  fully  and  freely  to  all ; 
he  is  offered  to  you  ;  and  he  is  both  able  and  willing  to  save 
all  who  come  to  him ;  he  is  willing  to  save  you,  if  you  will 
but  come ;  for  every  one  who  hears  the  gospel  is  authorized 
to  believe  it  and  accept  the  salvation  it  reveals.     The  gos- 

*  Published  by  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Publication. 
2E  349 


4  WHAT    IS    FAITH  .' 

pel  excludes  not  you  from  its  offers ;  and  why  should  you 
exclude  yourself?  "  This  is  his  commandment,  that  we 
should  believe  on  the  name  of  his  Son,  Jesus  Christ."  1 
John  iii.  23. 

6.  Then  just  go  to  Jesus  Christ.  Receive  him ;  rest  on 
him ;  trust  in  him  ;  and  serve  him,  whether  you  have  peace 
or  not.  Commit  your  soul  to  him  ;  give  him  your  heart ; 
surrender  yourself  and  your  all  to  him ;  go  to  him  just  as 
you  are,  confide  in  him,  begin  to  serve  him  and  to  do  his 
will,  and  make  it  the  business  of  your  life  to  live  to  his 
glory ;  and  let  him  take  care  of  your  peace  and  salvation — 
trust  him  with  your  soul  and  your  peace.  Confide  all  to 
his  hands.  And  do  this  now  ;  for  now  is  the  accepted  time, 
2  Cor.  v'i.  2.  I  do  not  advise  you  to  cease  to  be  anxious ; 
but  to  receive  Jesus  Christ  and  devote  yourself  to  him  ; 
serve  him  all  your  days,  and  seek  him  till  you  find  him 
precious  to  your  soul.  You  have  "  broken  many  solemn 
resolutions :"  this  teaches  you  your  weakness  and  your 
helplessness.  Let  your  mind  be  firmly  resolved,  not  in 
your  own  strength,  but  in  the  strength  of  the  Lord ;  but 
trust  not  in  resolutions :  trust  only  in  Christ ;  in  him  is 
strength,  and  help,  and  salvation.  To  him  I  direct  you ; 
there  is  salvation  in  no  other :  flee  to  him ;  believe  and  live  ! 

"  Jesus,  the  name  that  calms  our  fears, 
That  bids  our  sorrows  cease ; 
'Tis  music  in  the  sinner's  ears ; 
'Tis  hfe,  and  health,  and  peace." 

Hoping  you  may  soon  know  by  happy  experience  "  what 
'it  IS  to  believe  on  Christ,"  and  no  longer  have  occasion  to 
ask,  "  What  is  faith  ?"     I  remain 

Your  affectionate  friend 

and  pastor. 


THE    END. 


Stereotyped  by  S.  DOUGLAS  WYETH,  No  7  Pear  St.,  Philadelphia, 

350 


i\-^ 


No.  1.VII, 


A  REFUGE  FROM  THE  STORM 


THERE  IS  A  STOEM  TO  WHICH  MAN  IS  EXPOSED  : 

1.  Because  he  is  a  sinner.  This  is  the  charge  which  the 
Scriptures  bring  against  the  human  race :  for  all  have 
sinned,  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God ;  there  is  none 
righteous,  no,  not  one.  Rom.  iii.  10 — 23.  This  sad  truth 
IS  written  on  every  page  of  human  history,  on  every  statute 
book  of  every  nation,  in  the  records  of  every  court  of  justice, 
and  it  is  confirmed  by  every  man's  experience  and  obser- 
vation. To  prove  the  universality  and  totality  of  human 
depravity  is  as  complete  a  work  of  supererogation  as  it  is  to 
prove  that  a  globe  is  round,  or  that  a  triangle  is  a  three- 
sided  figure,  or  that  a  square  has  four  sides !  We  know 
that  we  are  sinners ;  that  we  have  often  done  violence  to 
our  own  sense  of  right  and  wrong ;  that  we  have  trans- 
gressed the  law  of  God  and  exposed  ourselves  to  his  dis- 
pleasure. No  man  need  go  out  of  himself  for  proof  of  his 
fallen  condition.  He  has  it  in  his  own  heart  and  life ;  and 
if  he  question  this  testimony,  let  him  open  the  Scriptures, 
and  there  he  will  find  the  proof  of  his  sinfulness  written  so 
plainly  that  he  can  neither  doubt  nor  deny  it ;  or,  should 
he  attempt  the  denial,  the  proof  is  so  clear  and  strong 
against  him,  that  the  very  attempt  is  the  fullest  demonstra- 
tion of  the  desperate  wickedness  of  his  heart.  By  one  man 
sin  entered  into  the  world,  and  death  by  sin ;  and  so  death 
passed  upon  all  men,  for  that  all  have  sinned.  Rom.  v.  12 — 

351 


2  A    REFUGE  FROM  THE  STORM. 

1 9.     Man  is  a  sinner  ;  and  he  is  exposed  because  he  is  a 
sinner. 

2.  And  also  because  God  is  holy,  just,  and  true.  God 
is  holy,  and  hates  sin ;  he  is  just,  and  will  punish  it ;  he  is 
true,  and  will  perform  all  that  he  has  threatened.  Sin  is 
repugnant  to  his  nature :  it  is  the  abominable  thing  that  he 
hates.  Jer.  xliv.  4.  He  can  never  love  it ;  can  never  over- 
look it ;  can  never  forgive  it,  except  in  that  way  which  his 
infinite  wisdom  has  devised.  His  hatred  of  sin  he  must  and 
will  express.  He  did  express  it  in  the  sufferings  of  Christ 
our  Substitute ;  and  he  will  express  it  in  the  sufferings  of 
the  sinner  who  avails  not  himself  of  the  Substitute  which 
has  been  provided.  Because  the  divine  character  is  what 
it  is,  the  sinner  is  in  danger.  Blot  out,  if  you  please,  every 
threatening  in  the  Bible;  and  what  does  the  sinner  gain? 
So  long  as  God  is  unchanged,  so  long  is  he  exposed  to  God's 
anger.  Put  together  the  holy  nature  of  God  and  the  unholy 
nature  of  man,  and  what  concord  is  there  between  them  ? 
While  both  remain  unchanged,  what  hope  is  there  that  man 
can  ever  enjoy  the  presence  of  God  ?  And  think  of  God's 
justice,  which  leads  him  to  punish  sin  because  it  is  sin, 
because  it  deserves  punishment ;  and  while  God  remains 
just,  how  can  the  sinner  hope  for  safety?  No;  there  is 
no  safety,  and  no  escape,  to  the  finally  impenitent.  While 
God  is  holy,  just,  and  true,  and  man  remains  what  he  is  by 
nature  and  practice,  a  sinner,  there  is  a  threatening  storm 
which  may  well  excite  his  fears.  Be  the  Bible  true  or  false, 
it  matters  not  as  to  this  point :  the  contrariety  of  man's 
nature  to  that  of  God  exposes  him  to  endless  misery  ! 

3.  Hence  the  storm  is  dreadful.  It  is  nothing  less  than 
the  wrath  of  God — the  expression  of  the  infinite  aversion 
of  his  nature  to  that  which  is  unholy.  We  sometimes  see 
this  expression  in  this  world — in  the  judgments  which  have 
fallen  upon  nations,  the  chastisements  inflicted  upon  indi- 
viduals, the  calamities  which  have  distressed  the  world, 
and  in  the  remorse  of  conscience  which  has  overtaken  some 
daring  transgressors.  But  the  most  striking  expression  of 
God's  anger  against  sin  which  the  earth  has  ever  seen,  was 
in  the  agonizing  death  of  the  Saviour  of  sinners.  He  did 
no  sin ;  he  was  holy,  harmless,  undefiled,  separate  from 
sinners ;  yet  he  was  treated  as  a  sinner,  made  sin  for  us, 
because  our  sins  were  laid  on  him ;  he  bare  our  sms  in  his 
own  body  on  the  tree — endured  their  punishment — and  so 

352 


A    REFUGE    FROM    THE    STORxM.  3 

was  made  a  curse  for  us.  1  Pet.  ii.  22 — 24.  Heb.  vii.  26. 
2  Cor.  V.  21.  Isa.  liii.  5,  6.  Gal.  iii.  13.  And  if  these 
things  were  done  in  a  green  tree,  what  shall  be  done  in  the 
dry?  Luke  xxiii.  31.  If  he  who  did  no  sin,  but  only  had 
our  sins  laid  on  him,  thus  suffered,  what  must  the  sinner 
himself  suffer,  dying  unforgiven  1  If  such  are  the  expres- 
sions of  God's  anger  against  sin  in  this  world,  what  must 
be  its  expression  in  the  world  to  come,  where  there  is  no- 
thing to  modify  or  alleviate  it  ?  In  what  manner  the  anger 
of  God  shall  be  expressed,  we  may  not  be  able  exactly  to 
determine ;  nor  is  it  necessary  that  we  should  know.  The 
most  terrific  descriptions  of  it  are  given  in  the  Bible.  It  is 
a  fire,  a  whirlwind,  a  tempest,  every  thing  that  is  dreadful ; 
and  if  such  are  the  figures  by  which  it  is  described,  what 
must  be  the  reality  ? 

4.  And  the  storm  is  eternal.  That  storm  of  forty  days 
and  forty  nights  which  drowned  the  old  world  was  long 
indeed,  but  it  had  an  end ;  and  in  the  dispersing  clouds  was 
seen  the  bow  of  promise  that  the  earth  should  no  more  be 
destroyed  by  a  flood.  There  have  been  long  storms  since, 
but  none  without  an  end.  Some  have  been  dreadful  while 
they  lasted ;  but  their  end,  when  the  sun  again  appeared  in 
the  heavens,  or  the  moon  and  the  stars  were  seen,  has 
filled  the  hearts  of  men  with  joy.  But  that  storm  to  which 
the  wicked  are  exposed,  shall  have  no  end.  Its  clouds 
shall  never  be  dispersed ;  no  bow  of  promise  will  ever  ap- 
pear to  the  tempest-driven  souls  who  experience  its  merci- 
less peltings ;  no  sun  to  them  will  ever  rise  and  shine ;  no 
moon,  nor  stars  appear.  That  storm  will  gver  be  gather- 
ing blackness  ;  it  will  ever  be  increasing  in  fury.  No  tra- 
veller will  there  ever  enquire.  Watchman,  what  of  the  night  ? 
No  watchman  will  ever  respond.  The  morning  cometh.  Isa. 
xxi.  11,  12,  To  that  night  there  will  be  no  morning;  to 
that  storm  there  will  be  no  termination.  An  eternal  storm 
— the  wrath  of  God  for  ever  inflicted — the  curse  of  the  law 
for  ever  enduring — for  these  shall  go  away  into  everlasting 
punishment — the  wrath  of  God  abideth  upon  them — they 
shall  not  see  life — eternal  death !  Matt.  xxv.  46.  John  iii. 
36.  Rom.  vi.  23.  Oh,  whose  heart  does  not  melt  within 
him  at  the  thought  of  his  exposure  to  such  a  doom  1  Yet 
this  is  just  the  exposure  of  every  impenitent  man  ! 

5.  For  this  storm  is  sure  to  come  and  it  is  even  now 
2  E  2  353 


4  A  REFUGE  FROM  THE  STORM. 

impending.  The  threatening  clouds  will  not  disperse ;  the 
gathering  gloom  will  not  vanish  away.  God  changes  not ; 
his  word  is  sure ;  his  nature  is  immutable.  The  holiness 
of  his  character,  as  well  as  his  justice  and  truth,  renders 
the  overthrow  of  the  wicked  certain.  They  may  flee  to 
their  refuges ;  they  may  explain  away  the  threatenings  of 
the  Bible ;  yet,  while  God  remains  what  he  is,  and  they 
remain  what  they  are,  there  is  no  heaven  for  them — they 
and  Jehovah  cannot  live  in  the  same  heaven — eternal  ban- 
ishment from  God  awaits  them — a  certain  fearful  looking 
for  of  judgment  and  fiery  indignation.  Heb.  x.  27.  2  Thess. 
i.  8,  9.  They  are  already  condemned.  John  iii.  18.  They 
are  as  near  to  perdition  as  they  are  to  death.  Vengeance 
is  approaching  as  rapidly  as  life  itself  is  passing  away. 
Their  judgment  lingereth  not,  and  their  damnation  slumber- 
eth  not.  2  Pet.  ii.  3.  The  gathering  storm  is  hastening  on ; 
the  rumbling  of  the  distant  thunder  is  heard ;  the  lightnings 
are  flashing  athwart  the  darkness  ;  the  rising  winds  are  im- 
pelling onwards  the  thickening  tempest ;  and  every  moment 
the  storm  may  burst  with  all  its  fury  upon  the  sinner's  un- 
protected head.  Oh,  sinner,  look  around  you  !  Where  are 
you  ]  What  horrors  hang  over  you  !  What  dangers  im- 
pend !  Is  it  not  time  to  look  for  a  shelter  ?  time  to  enquire 
for  a  place  of  safety  ?  Does  not  prudence  dictate  that  you 
should  be  looking  for  -a  refuge  from  the  storm  ?  And  is 
there  a  refuge  1  Yes — 

THERE     IS    A     REFUGE     FROM     THE     STORM;     AND     THIS 
REFUGE  IS  JeSUS  ChRIST. ISA.  XXV.  4. 

1.  He  came  into  the  world  for  this  very  purpose.  He 
was  foretold  as  a  Saviour ;  and  he  came  to  seek  and  to 
save  the  lost,  to  save  from  sin  and  from  wrath.  Isa.  ix.  6. 
Matt.  i.  21,  and  xx.  28.  Luke  xix.  10.  1  Thess.  i.  10.  He 
was  prefigured  by  the  cities  of  refuge  among  the  Jews  ;  and 
he  is  spoken  of  by  the  prophet  Isaiah  as  a  hiding-place 
from  the  wind,  and  a  covert  from  the  tempest.  Isa.  xxxii.  2. 
When  he  appeared  on  earth,  it  was  said  to  the  shepherds,  I 
bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy,  for  unto  you  is  born  a 
Saviour,  Christ  the  Lord.  Luke  ii.  10,  11.  Jesus  Christ 
came  not  merely  to  set  an  example  of  obedience  to  the  di- 
vine law;  nor  did  he  die  merely  to  attest  by  his  death  the 
truth  which  he  had  taught  and  honoured  by  his  fife  :  he 
came  to  obey  and  die  as  the  Substitute  of  sinners ;  to  re- 
354 


A    REFUGE    FROM    THE    STORSI.  5 

deem  men  from  their  exposure  to  wrath  ;  to  reconcile  them 
to  God  by  his  death ;  to  be  a  refuge  from  the  storm.  For 
this  he  came ;  and  for  this  he  died,  the  just  for  the  un- 
just. Gal.  iii.  13.  Heb.  ii.  14—18.  1  Pet.  ii.  21— 24,  and 
iii.  18. 

2.  Jesus  Christ  is  a  refuge  adapted  to  our  wants  and 
necessities.  His  person,  character,  and  offices,  are  just 
such  as  fit  him  for  the  work  which  he  has  undertaken. 
All  our  wants  may  find  in  him  a  full  supply  ;  all  our  neces- 
sities are  not  only  met  but  exceeded.  We  need  a  divine 
Redeemer ;  and  at  the  same  time  one  who,  by  the  posses- 
sion of  our  nature,  can  sympathize  with  us  in  our  tempta- 
tions and  trials ;  and  such  an  one  is  Jesus  Christ,  the  God- 
man.  1  Tim.  iii.  16.  We  need  a  Redeemer  who  can  be, 
at  the  same  time,  a  Prophet,  a  Priest,  and  a  King  ;  and  such 
an  one  is  Jesus  Christ,  for  he  sustains  all  these  offices,  and 
by  them  is  able  to  cure  our  "  threefold  misery,  ignorance, 
guilt,  and  bondage."  We  need  a  Redeemer  who  can  com- 
plete the  work  which  he  undertook ;  and  such  an  one  is 
Jesus  Christ,  for  he  said,  ere  he  expired.  It  is  finished,  and 
when  he  ascended  he  led  captivity  captive,  and  he  is  able 
to  save  them  to  the  uttermost  that  come  unto  God  by  him, 
seeing  he  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  them.  John 
xix.  30.  Eph.  iv.  8.  Heb.  vii.  25.  Are  we  sinners  1  Jesus  can 
save  us  from  our  sins,  for  he  has  borne  their  punishment  in 
our  stead.  Are  we  exposed  1  Jesus  can  rescue  us  from  our 
exposure,  for  he  has  satisfied  the  claims  of  justice  and  been 
made  a  curse  for  us.  The  storm  has  fallen  on  him,  that 
we  might  be  shielded  from  it :  he  has  survived  the  storm, 
and  lives  to  be  the  refuge  of  those  who  will  flee  to  him  for 
safety.  Just  what  we  need,  and  all  we  need,  we  shall  j5nd 
in  Jesus  Christ.  There  is  not  a  want  in  our  natures,  nor 
in  our  circumstances,  which  is  not  met  by  his  all-sufficiency, 
by  his  wonderful  adaptation  to  our  wants  and  necessities. 

3.  And  Jesus  Christ  is  an  accessible  refuge.  He  is  not 
one  that  is  unapproachable ;  one  to  whom  no  access  can  be 
gained ;  but  a  refuge  which  every  eye  can  see,  and  to 
which  every  soul  may  fly.  Jesus  Christ  is  accessible  be- 
cause he  is  divine.  He  is  in  every  place ;  and  wherever 
we  may  seek  him,  there  he  is  found.  He  is  accessible 
because  he  possesses  our  nature,  and  can  sympathize  with 
us  in  all  our  anxieties,  hopes,  and  fears.     He  can  be  touch- 

1  *  355 


6  A  REFUGE  FROM  THE  STORM. 

ed  with  the  feeling  of  our  infirmities ;  he  knows  how  to 
pity  and  how  to  help.  Heb.  ii.  17,  18,  and  iv.  14 — 16.  He 
is  accessible  because  he  is  willing  to  save.  Of  this  he  has 
given  evidence  in  all  that  he  has  done  to  redeem  us.  His 
body  broken  and  his  blood  shed  for  the  remission  of  sins, 
are  a  demonstration  of  his  willingness  to  save.  Matt.  xxvi. 
26 — 30.  The  same  truth  is  taught  in  his  gracious  invita- 
tions. Isa.  xlv.  22.  He  invites  the  sinner  to  flee  to  him  for 
refuge ;  and  he  declares  that  he  will  not  cast  out  him  that 
Cometh.  Matt.  xi.  28 — 30.  John  vi.  37.  Yes,  sinner,  an 
accessible  refuge  is  placed  before  you — a  refuge  which 
invites  your  entrance — and  which  holds  out  every  induce- 
ment for  you  to  enter.  Oh  enter  in,  ere  the  door  of  hope 
be  closed  for  ever ! 

4.  Jesus  Christ  is  an  eternal  and  all-sufficient  refuge. 
He  is  from  everlasting  to  everlasting,  the  same  yesterday, 
to-day,  and  for  ever.  Micah  v.  2.  Heb.  xiii.  8.  He  can 
protect  all  who  flee  to  him,  for  he  is  God  all-sufficient.  2 
Cor.  iii.  4,  5.  There  are  refuges  which  are  perishable  ;- 
but  this  is  an  imperishable  refuge.  It  will  endure  when 
time  is  no  more,  for  Jesus  ever  liveth.  Heb.  vii.  25. 

5.  And  he  is  a  safe  refuge.  Safe,  because  he  is  mighty 
to  save — because  his  atonement  is  sufficient — because  his 
righteousness  is  perfect — because  his  Spirit  is  Almighty ; 
a  safe  refuge,  because  his  word  of  promise  is  sure — because 
his  blood  cleanses  from  all  sin — because  his  intercession  is 
prevalent.  The  Father  heareth  him  always ;  and  Jesus 
will  never  leave  nor  forsake  them  who  confide  in  him. 
They  who  take  shelter  in  Jesus  Christ  shall  never  be  de- 
stroyed. No  storm  of  wrath  shall  fall  on  them;  they 
shall  never  perish.  Isa.  Ixiii.  1.  Heb.  vi.  17 — 20.  1  John 
i.  7.  Heb.  xiii.  5.  John  x.  27—30. 

There,  safe  they  shall  abide. 

There,  sweet  shall  be  their  rest. 
And  every  longing  satisfied, 

With  full  salvation  blest." 

Such  is  the  refuge ;  but  how  shall  we  enter  ?  Not  by 
sitting  still,  and  saying,  We  can  do  nothing.  Neither 
could  the  man  with  a  withered  hand  heal  it  himself;  nor 
could  he  stretch  it  forth  unhealed ;  but  in  stretching  it  forth 
it  was  healed  by  divine  power.  Matt.  xii.  10 — 13.  So 
356 


A  REFUGE  FROM  THE  STORM.  7 

the  sinner  is  to  flee  to  Christ;  and  in  his  flight  there  is 
help  and  salvation  from  above.  Phil.  ii.  12,  13.  He  is  not 
to  build  a  refuge  of  his  own,  nor  to  strive  to  prepare  the 
way  for  entering  the  refuge  which  God  has  provided,  but 
just  to  flee  to  this  refuge  and  enter  in.  And  the  way  to 
enter  and  escape  the  storm,  is,  by  faith.  Look  to  Jesus 
Christ ;  come  to  Christ ;  believe  in  him ;  trust  in  him ; 
and  you  are  safe.     This  is  the  way  to  enter. 

As  to  the  duty  of  entering,  God  commands  it,  and  we 
should  obey  him.  Our  necessities  also  should  drive  us  to 
Christ.  How  great  are  they !  We  are  perishing ;  the 
storm  is  approaching ;  and  how  can  we  escape  it,  if  we 
flee  not  to  the  Saviour?  His  love  should  draw  us  to  him. 
How  great  his  love !  And  can  we  slight  it  1  And  if  we 
do,  how  richly  we  deserve  to  perish  !  And  how  miserable 
must  be  our  doom  ! 

Do  you  ask  for  motives  for  entering  the  refuge  ?  They 
may  be  drawn  from  the  world,  heaven,  earth,  and  hell. 
They  lie  thick  on  every  side ;  they  are  pressed  upon  you 
from  every  quarter ;  and  it  is  not  the  want  of  motives  that 
keeps  you  from  the  cross  of  Christ,  but  an  evil  heart  of 
unbelief,  a  heart  of  sin,  of  adamant,  and  that  will  be  your 
ruin ! 

Do  you  say  you  have  fled  from  the  storm  and  entered 
the  refuge  ?  But  where  is  the  evidence  of  it  ?  I  do  not 
ask  whether  you  feel  the  evidence  in  your  own  heart,  but 
is  it  seen  in  your  life  1  There  may  be  much  of  obscurity 
in  our  exercises  and  there  may  seem  to  us  a  great  mixture 
of  sin  and  imperfection  in  our  experience,  and  yet  we  may 
be  children  of  God.  Faith  may  be  weak,  and  yet  be  real. 
Wherever  there  is  faith,  there  is  union  with  Christ ;  and 
the  best  evidence  we  can  have  of  an  interest  in  Christ,  is 
pressing  on  in  a  life  of  obedience  to  his  will.  Commit 
yourself  to  him ;  trust  in  him  and  obey  him  ;  and  you  shall 
be  saved. 


Let  every  mortal  ear  attend. 

And  every  heart  rejoice  ; 
The  trumpet  of  the  gospel  sounds, 

With  an  inviting  voice. 

357 


A  REFUGE  FROM  THE  STORM. 

"  Ho  !  all  ye  hungry,  starving  souls, 
That  feed  upon  the  wind, 
And  vainly  strive  with  earthly  toys 
To  fill  an  empty  mind  : 

"  Eternal  wisdom  has  prepared 
A  soul-reviving  feast. 
And  bids  your  longing  appetites, 
The  rich  provision  taste. 

"  Ho !  ye  that  pant  for  living  streams, 
And  pine  away  and  die. 
Here  you  may  quench  your  raging  thirst, 
With  springs  that  never  dry. 

*'  Rivers  of  love  and  mercy  here 
In  a  rich  ocean  join  ; 
Salvation  in  abundance  flows, 
Like  floods  of  milk  and  wine. 

"  Ye  perishing  and  naked  poor. 
Who  work  with  mighty  pain. 
To  weave  a  garment  of  your  own, 
That  will  not  hide  your  sin ; 

"  Come  naked,  and  adorn  your  souls 
In  robes  prepared  by  God, 
Wrought  by  the  labours  of  his  Son, 
And  dyed  in  his  own  blood. 

"  Great  God,  the  treasures  of  thy  love 
Are  everlasting  mines. 
Deep  as  our  helpless  miseries  are, 
And  boundless  as  our  sins. 

"  The  happy  gates  of  gospel  grace 
Stand  open  night  and  day ; 
Lord,  we  are  come  to  seek  supplies, 
And  drive  our  wants  away." 


THE    END. 

Stereotyped  by  S.  DOUGLAS  \VYETH,  No  7  Pear  St.,  Pbiladelphuu 

358 


Princeton  Theoloaical ,  Sf mii;j'H,,,'nteSrr 


i    1012  01216  8664 


